Dog attack sparks Gospel Oak flats siege drama

Published: 30th June, 2011
by JOSIE HINTON

A HOUSING block was at the centre of a police siege on Tuesday when a man barricaded himself in a flat for four hours after his Rottweiler dogs allegedly attacked a woman in the street.

Police said the dogs jumped on the 64-year-old woman’s Golden Retriever as she walked with him along Mansfield Road, Gospel Oak, at around 8.20pm.

Officers are investigating reports that when she tried to pull her pet away, she fell to the ground and the dogs turned on her and bit her several times on the wrist and leg.

Passers-by helped her while the owner of the Rottweilers, a middle-aged man, took his dogs and fled the scene to a flat in nearby Waxham block.

He barricaded himself inside and began a four-hour stand-off with police which ended when they forced entry in the early hours of the morning.

Witnesses described hearing a large commotion as police surrounded the block. One said: “The police had vans parked in the street and were all around the block. There was a lot of screaming and shouting. It went on for hours.” 

Police arrested a man under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. The dogs were seized and taken to a Camden police station and remain in police custody.

Residents said the dogs had been a feature on the estate since they were pups but the owner would not allow anyone to talk to them or pet them.

The woman attacked by the dogs was taken to hospital suffering from bites. She is recovering in hospital but it is thought she may need plastic surgery. 

Police said she was so concerned for her pet, officers took the Golden Retriever from the vet to a neighbour’s house to be looked after.