'One brave man got a big stick and was hitting the dogs but they were in a frenzy

Rishi Sunak vows to ban American XL bully breed

- Paul Jeeves 

A HERO dad was savaged to death by two American XL bully dogs as he protected his elderly mother.

Ian Price was attacked by the animals after they jumped out of a neighbour's window just yards from a primary school - where his wife was at work.

Brave locals tried to drive the pair away during the 20-minute onslaught but Mr Price, 52, could not be saved. The horror led Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to commit to banning XL bullies by the end of the year, following other fatal attacks which he condemned as a "pattern of behaviour [that] cannot go on".

Witnesses revealed the dogs had burst through a hedge and into the front garden of Mr Price's mother in Stonnall, Staffs.

They tore at the businessman's clothes and neighbours were unable to prise the dogs' jaws off him, despite hitting the animals with sticks and wheelie bins as armed police raced to the scene on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Price, who ran a domestic restoration business, had been visiting his mother in the village and had reportedly tried to "shoo away" the powerful hounds.

One witness recalled: "It was so awful. He was mauled to death and it was just horrendous. The dogs...got through the hedge behind the house and appeared in the elderly lady's garden.

"Her son has gone out to protect her. Neighbours came out to help, but many stood on [the other] side of the fence because they were too frightened.

"One brave man got a big stick and was hitting the dogs and trying to get them off.

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