Two people were injured in a dog attack in Manchester city centre today (Thursday, September 10), prompting a response from armed police. Officers were called to the Market Street tram stop at around 2.24pm after reports that two people had been bitten by a dog.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the injuries are believed to be minor. The breed of the dog has not yet been confirmed. A 39-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of being in control of a dog that was dangerously out of control and was taken into custody for questioning.
Witnesses describe scene at tram stop
An eyewitness said he saw around seven police officers at the Metrolink stop and a 'big dog' tied to the railings. Another witness, who works nearby, said he had been told that 'someone was annoying the dog in its face and then it got aggressive.'
The second witness described the dog's behaviour, saying: "All I saw was that it just barked twice at dogs walking past - but it was a friendly bark and its tail was wagging. But even then, if someone’s annoying a dog in its face, what do you expect it to do?"
He added that the dog was with a man and a woman, and that while the woman was arrested, the man ran off. The witness said police tied the dog to the railing and stopped people from leaving that side of the tram stop.
Police presence and service impact
The witness described the dog being tied up so tightly it couldn't sit down, and said four armed police officers remained at the scene for about an hour and a half before the dog was taken away in a police van. He also noted he could only see one end of the tram stop and was unsure if more was happening elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed that Metrolink services were not affected by the incident.
