Baby fighting for life after dog attack in Hawick

12 April 2019, 14:15

The dog has been put to rest after it attacked a six-week-old baby inside a home in Hawick in the Scottish.

Police confirmed the animal has been put down after the attack on Thursday afternoon, which it's understood has left the newborn boy with life changing facial injuries.

He was kept in the Borders General Hospital overnight and said to be in a critical condition, before being flown to Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children on Friday.

Police said the incident happened within an address on the town's Burns Road, where they were called to at 4.35pm on Thursday.

A spokesman for the force said: "About 4.35pm on Thursday April 11 2019, emergency services were called to an address in Hawick after a report of a baby being attacked by a dog.

"A baby boy has been taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

"Officers remain in attendance and inquiries are ongoing."

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said they were called out at 4.28pm on Thursday.

He added: "We dispatched one ambulance to the scene and transported a child patient to Borders General Hospital.

"Our trauma team then airlifted the child to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow."

Hawick councillor Davie Paterson said on Friday that he believes the child is only weeks old and it "could be a matter of life and death".

He said: "It's an absolute tragedy and it's going to hit the town hard.

"I don't know the full circumstances of what happened but from what I'm hearing the child could be scarred for life.

"I was told about it with the council yesterday and I was absolutely horrified."