Overview

• 52-year-old Darren Shuttleworth-Long was attacked in his sleep on April 26 in Exeter Street, Swindon, sustaining a bitten-off right ear and severe nose injuries
• He spent three days in ICU at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital and is now set to undergo plastic surgery to reconstruct his ear
• Wiltshire Police arrested a 24-year-old woman on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control; she has been released on bail pending further enquiries
• XL Bully dogs have been linked to at least 17 fatal attacks since 2020 and were banned in England and Wales in February 2024, with owners required to hold exemption certificates and ensure their dogs are neutered and microchipped
• The attack has left Shuttleworth-Long with lasting trauma and a pronounced fear of large dogs as he begins a lengthy physical and emotional recovery