Woman savaged to death by mastiff

A woman has been mauled to death by a dog in south London.

Barbara Williams was killed at her home in Demesne Road, Wallington, on Thursday night after the Belgian mastiff went berserk.

Ms Williams, in her 40s, died from multiple injuries and the dog was shot dead by police marksmen.

Neighbours have paid tribute to a “very friendly, jovial, very nice woman”.

Scotland Yard said the dog was shot dead by police at the property and a puppy was also taken away.

Police were called to the address at 8.57pm. Paramedics and officers arrived to find the woman “suffering from multiple dog attack injuries”.

“She was pronounced dead at the scene,” the Met Police added. A post-mortem examination is being arranged.

There was at least one other person at the property at the time of the attack, but no-one else was injured. It is thought Ms Williams lived in the property with an older female relative, the woman’s son and grandson.

Belgian mastiffs – which can grow to a height of 78cm and weigh as much as 50kg – are not classified as dangerous under the Dangerous Dogs Act. They were originally used to pull carts and are said to be “calm and obedient” on website dogbreedinfo.com.

Harshal Kshatri, 25, who owns a Western Union shop around the corner from the victim’s semi-detached home, said: “I thought the dog was quite friendly. It was never aggressive from what I remember.”