A terrified couple were involved in a dramatic rescue from a high-rise flat after their savage pitbull turned on them.
Firefighters used ladders to reach the injured pair after they barricaded themselves inside their bedrooms yesterday morning.
Residents of the Ashton Rise block in Brighton reported hearing “frenzied barking” soon after 8am.
Mark Pittock, from Preston Circus fire station, explained that the couple had been “having a row” when their dog went for them.
“It attacked the male causing wounds to his arm and waist,” he said.
“The female tried to pull the dog away but it then went for her, biting her hands, legs and feet.”
Terrified, the couple managed to wrestle free from the pitbull’s jaws before running into opposing bedrooms and barricading themselves in.
With the frenzied animal snarling in a room next door, they called 999 for help.
Mr Pittock added: “They went out to the external windows of the bedrooms and we used the ladders to reach them.
“The woman was in quite a state. She was injured and didn’t like heights or ladders.”
Firefighters treated the couple for puncture wounds before paramedics took over.
The couple were out when The Argus visited the Courtlands block yesterday afternoon. Their nextdoor neighbours said the pair did not want to be contacted and refused to speak about the incident.
Residents on the lower floors reported hearing a dog barking before seeing the flashing lights of the emergency services.
Louisa Saad, 31, who lives on the first floor, said: “It must have been about 8.30am. We heard the dog barking and the next thing we knew the police were here.
“We let them in and they went up to the third floor. It’s a bit scary, we don’t normally have a problem with dogs around here.”
The dog was left trapped in the house during the rescue before specialist police handlers returned later on Sunday morning to capture it. They took it to a nearby vets but said there was “no plan” to put it down.
It is unknown whether the dog is a pitbull terrier which is a banned breed in the UK.
Pitbull is an overarching term for a number of similar dog breeds – of which the pitbull terrier is one.
The other three banned breeds in the UK are the Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero.
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