Byline: By JOHN KELLY, ALISTAIR SELF and TERENIA TARAS
A TODDLER killed by the family rottweiler was snatched from the arms of his seven-year-old aunt and savaged in front of the horrified youngster.
The 10-stone dog pounced on Archie-Lee Hirst, tearing him from the little girl before mauling him to death in the backyard of his grandmother's terraced home.
As the horror unfolded, his young aunt raced upstairs screaming to her 16-year-old sister Kara for help.
Kara ran downstairs and desperately tried to fight off the huge dog before calling police on her mobile.
But it was too late to save her little nephew.
Police have praised Kara's brave attempts to save him.
Last night the toddler's distraught parents - Becki Hirst, 17, and Damian Williamson, 20 - were being comforted by family and specially-trained police officers.
In her own internet page, Becki had revealed she "didn't know what she'd do" if she ever lost "gorgeous" Archie-Lee, who had just enjoyed his first proper Christmas.
She wrote the comments on a web page devoted to her son, and plastered with photos of the smiling tot.
Proud Mum Becki said: "I love it when he does his giggle - makes me happy to know he is smiling. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him."
Archie-Lee had been staying at his grandmother Sharon Hirst's home in Wakefield, West Yorks, when the family pet went berserk on Friday afternoon.
His mother and grandmother were visiting friends nearby.
The animal had gone for Archie-Lee as his seven-year-old aunt carried him outside so she could give it a stroke. As she entered the backyard, the immensely powerful beast struck, dragging Archie-Lee to the floor and inflicting horrific injuries within minutes.
The two-and-a-half-year-old rottweiler bitch refused to let go despite being hit repeatedly by Kara who then dashed from the house and dialled 999 on her mobile.
An ambulanceman who arrived within six minutes scaled a 7ft fence to reach the boy and administer first aid while the dog snarled in a corner of the yard.
Archie-Lee was taken to hospital but died five hours later. A post mortem revealed he died from multiple injuries consistent with a dog attack.
Police revealed that Archie-Lee's seven-year-old aunt and her six-year-old sister, who was also in the house at the time, hid in a bedroom as the dog prowled the yard after the attack.
Neighbours said yesterday the dog was not killed until two hours after the attack. Andy Foster, who witnessed the dog's last moments, said: "Police dog handlers were trying to calm it down and catch it with loops, but it was absolutely ferocious and jumping at the fence.
"It went on for about two hours - then we heard the shot and the dog stopped barking."
He added: "The dog was vicious and my three-year-old son was terrified of it and wouldn't go past it to the park."
Although they had split, Archie-Lee's mum Becki is in regular contact with the little boy's dad Damian.
Damian's brother Ryan Williamson, 18, said last night: "Damian and Becki are both beside themselves with grief.
"They are together at the moment sharing their grief and trying to cope with what has happened.
"They had been together for a couple of years and had their ups and downs but they both loved Archie-Lee and worshipped the ground he stood on. It's like a bad nightmare. We had no reason to believe the dog was dangerous."
Detective Superintendent Steve Payne, who is leading the investigation, said the family had owned the dog for just six months.
"It is not a dangerous dog by Dangerous Dog Act definition, and lots of families have similar dogs that don't cause any problems."
He added: "I have to pay tribute to the young auntie, who attempted to rescue the child.
"She did try her best to recover Archie from the dog, but unfortunately that was in but vain. It is a full-size rottweiler and we're talking about a powerful dog here.
"Clearly the death of any young child is a tragedy, but this wasn't expected ... it is nobody's fault."
Several breeds of dog deemed to be dangerous have been banned by Parliament, but not rottweilers.
The controversial Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in 1991 and banned Pit Bull Terriers - the breed which attacked and killed five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson last January in Liverpool.
news@sundaymirror.co.uk
CAPTION(S):
Archie-Lee plays on swing in local park; Becki poses for internet diary pic; Forensics experts emerge from the back yard at Archie-Lee's grandmother's home in Wakefield, West Yorks, yesterday; Powerful...a rottweiler; Savaged...little Archie-Lee
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