Woman mauled to death 'too scared to feed' eight-stone dog

A woman was savaged to death by a dog because she was too scared to feed it, a neighbour claimed today.

Barbara Williams, 52, was attacked by an eight-stone Belgian mastiff in the garden of the house she was lodging at in Wallington, Surrey, on December 23.

Police marksmen who were called to the scene had to hold the animal down with riot shields and fire four shots to kill it.

It comes as disturbing footage emerged of the dog, thought to be called D Bo, breaking through a neighbouring fence, forcing a terrified family to take cover in their home.

Neighbours today said the dog, which belonged to Alex Blackburn-Smith, 34, was kept on a short chain in the back garden and was never allowed inside the family home.

Burhan Yanbolu, 37, a minicab driver, claimed Mr Blackburn-Smith had not been seen in the weeks leading up to the attack and that his lodger Miss Williams, who worked as a classroom assistant at nearby St Elphege's Roman Catholic junior school, was left to care for the dog.

But father-of-two Mr Yanbolu said Miss Williams was "too afraid to go near" the Belgian mastiff.

He said: "That dog was terrifying. My children were very scared of it. It was kept on a three-metre chain and never allowed in the house.

"Once it started jumping against our fence and actually managed to break through because it was so strong. My two daughters were so scared.

"Barbara was too afraid to go near the dog so she wouldn't have been able to feed it.

"We are worried that is the reason it killed her - it was so hungry that it broke free of the chain and did anything to try and eat." He added: "Barbara was a quiet, polite lady. She never caused any trouble at all."

Mr Blackburn-Smith, 34, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, as well as cultivating cannabis. He has been bailed until next month.