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Lexi Branson attack: Mother stabbed dog in bid save daughter Lexi Branson attack: Mother stabbed killer dog
(35 minutes later)
A mother stabbed her pet dog in an attempt to save her four-year-old daughter from a fatal attack, Leicestershire Police have said.A mother stabbed her pet dog in an attempt to save her four-year-old daughter from a fatal attack, Leicestershire Police have said.
The dog mauled Lexi Branson in the lounge of a flat in Rowena Court, Mountsorrel, near Loughborough, on Tuesday at about 12:15 GMT. Jodie Hudson stabbed the dog, Mulan, with a kitchen knife as it mauled her daughter Lexi Branson at their flat in Mountsorrel on Tuesday. She later died.
She died later in hospital. The family got the dog from a rehoming centre two months ago.
In a statement, Leicestershire Police said the dog was a bulldog, which it said was not a breed listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Police said the dog was a bulldog, which was "not a breed listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act".
Det Supt David Sandall, from Leicestershire Police, said the dog was a stray which had been rehomed from Willow Tree Kennels by the family about two months ago. Det Supt David Sandall said Lexi had been off sick from school on Tuesday and was at home when Mulan, thought to be aged between six and eight, attacked her.
It was called Mulan and was between six and eight years old. "We're still continuing the investigation and we're going to look completely at the history of where the dog's come from, how it's come into the family environment and we're doing the investigation on behalf of the coroner who, obviously, we have to show the events leading up to the death of Lexi," said Det Supt Sandall.
He said Lexi had been off sick from school on Tuesday and her mother Jodie Hudson was in the room at the family home when the attack happened. "But it's just a very, very tragic case that we're dealing with here today."
She stabbed the dog with a kitchen knife in an attempt to stop the attack. Asked by the BBC to confirm the breed, a Leicestershire Police spokeswoman reiterated that the dog was being "classified as a bulldog".
"This is a very tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lexi at this extremely difficult time," said Det Supt Sandall.
"The flat remains cordoned off to allow for a forensic examination and we are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading to the tragic death of Lexi, and this will include the history of the dog."
'Bubbly little girl''Bubbly little girl'
The girl's mother Jodie Hudson and grandmother Kerry Hudson said she would be sadly missed and never forgotten. Lexi's mother and grandmother Kerry Hudson said she would be sadly missed and never forgotten.
In a statement, they said: "Lexi was a bubbly, bright little girl.In a statement, they said: "Lexi was a bubbly, bright little girl.
"She fought for her life from the moment she was born as she was born three months prematurely. She's been taken from us so tragically."She fought for her life from the moment she was born as she was born three months prematurely. She's been taken from us so tragically.
"She will be sadly missed, she will be our shining star in the sky and she we will never be forgotten.""She will be sadly missed, she will be our shining star in the sky and she we will never be forgotten."
David Williams, head teacher of Christ Church and St Peter's C of E primary school, where Lexi had just begun, said: "The whole school has been devastated by Lexi's death." David Williams, head teacher of Christ Church and St Peter's C of E primary school in Mountsorrel, near Loughborough, where Lexi had just started as a pupil, said: "The whole school has been devastated by Lexi's death."
He said bereavement counsellors had been called in to speak to pupils.He said bereavement counsellors had been called in to speak to pupils.