A woman has died after being attacked by a dog at a property in south London.
The victim, aged in her 40s, suffered multiple injuries during the attack on Thursday evening in Wallington.
Police were called by somebody else in the house. They arrived to find the woman still grappling with the dog, thought to be a Belgian mastiff. Armed officers shot the dog dead.
Paramedics treated the woman at the scene, but she died an hour later. Her next of kin have yet to be informed.
One other person was in the property in Demesne Road at the time of the attack but was not injured.
Neighbour Christina Faria, 36, a debt collector, said: "We looked out and saw the road closed and lots of police and forensics.
Police activity
"We saw a silver private ambulance take what must have been her body away."
Local business owner Pat O'Brien said: "It all went on from about 9pm to 1am before they took down the tape.
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People should give a lot of thought to the sort of dogs they are buying”
Clarissa Baldwin
Dog's Trust
"There were about five panda cars and a crew in a car marked up as 'air ambulance'.
"I didn't see the police marksman but there was a lot of activity."
Police removed a puppy from the home and forensics officers are now examining the home.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Inquiries are under way after the death of a woman in Wallington.
"We await next of kin and formal identification.
"Detectives from Sutton borough are investigating."
Belgian mastiffs are not on the dangerous dogs list.
The dogs which can weigh up to eight stone (50kg) are said to have been used to pull carts.
The Kennel Club says Belgian mastiffs are considered extinct in the UK.
But breeds can be considered extinct if there are not enough males and females left to reproduce in effective numbers.
'Affectionate pet'
Some breeders are trying to reintroduce the breed by crossbreeding with similar dogs.
Police are examining the animal's remains to see if it was a pure breed.
Clarissa Baldwin, chief executive of the Dogs Trust, said the breed made a "calm, affectionate and loving pet".
She said: "The circumstances seem to be a little bit strange if it was just the family unit in the house. You call it a gentle giant.
But she added: "They can be very protective. People should give a lot of thought to the sort of dogs they are buying."
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