A man and a woman have been arrested after an eight-year-old boy was seriously injured when he was bitten on the head by a dog – believed to be an XL bully.

Officers were called to Wadham Road in Bootle, Merseyside, just after 5.20pm on Saturday following a report that the dog had bitten a child to the head in the communal area of flats nearby.

The boy was taken to hospital where he had emergency surgery for his serious head injuries, and where he remains in a serious but stable condition, Merseyside Police said.

The dog was seized by police who said it is believed to be an XL bully.

A 49-year-old woman and 30-year-old man, both from Bootle, have been arrested on suspicion of being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury. They have been taken in to custody to be interviewed.

They are not related to the child who is injured.

XL bully dog
Stock picture of an XL bully dog, which are now banned breeds (Alamy/PA)

House-to-house enquiries have been carried out in the area and all CCTV opportunities are being explored, the force said.

A number of witnesses have been spoken to at the scene and officers are appealing for further witnesses to come forward and for anyone who may be able to assist enquiries to contact police.

Detective Inspector Gary Stratton said: “This was a horrific attack which has left a young child requiring emergency surgery for injuries to his head.

“I want to reassure people that he is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing.

“We have seized the dog and extensive efforts are under way to establish exactly what happened. I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who may have information, to come forward as soon as possible.

“This case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs, and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take pro-active action.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 24000162913 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information.