A man in his 70s has been seriously injured after being attacked by two dogs – both of which were later shot dead by police.
The pensioner was set upon by the animals in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, on Friday morning, Sussex Police said.
The force received multiple reports of a man being attacked by two dogs, believed to be Rottweilers, at about 9.50am.
Both dogs were killed by specialist firearms officers who arrived quickly and were given the authority to put the animals down.
The force said: “Due to the ongoing threat – and in order to protect the victim and the wider community – specialist firearms officers were swiftly deployed to the scene and granted authority to bring the dogs safely under control.
“We can confirm that firearms were discharged and both dogs are now deceased.”
The dogs’ owners have been traced and police are continuing to investigate.
Chief Superintendent Alex Geldart said: “We acknowledge the distressing nature of this incident and would like to assure the community that there is no further risk associated with it.
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“The victim’s family are receiving support by specialist officers.
“This is a fast-moving investigation and enquiries are under way to establish the exact circumstances of what happened.”
Police are urging anyone with mobile or CCTV footage to contact them.
The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.