Ex-Daventry mayor suffers arm and leg injuries in campaign trail dog attack

A former Daventry mayor claims he was attacked by a dog while he campaigned for a district council seat in last week's elections.
Nigel Carr suffered bite marks and grazes to his arms and legs in the attackNigel Carr suffered bite marks and grazes to his arms and legs in the attack
Nigel Carr suffered bite marks and grazes to his arms and legs in the attack

Nigel Carr, who was elected to Daventry District Council in 2014 as a UKIP candidate, was handing out leaflets on May 3 when he says he was knocked to the floor and injured by a Rottweiler.

He suffered bite marks to his leg and arm, his fingertips were marked and his tracksuit was ripped.

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"I stretched out my arm, I must've been about one metre away, and as I passed the man the leaflet his dog leapt at me and knocked me to the ground and started attacking me," recounted Mr Carr.

At this point, the owner, he said, had lost control of the dog's leash, which was "flapping about everywhere".

Eventually, the man grabbed the lead and pulled the Rottweiler off Mr Carr after a minute-long tussle.

"All the time I was on the floor I was thinking 'I hope it doesn't go for my face'," said 61-year-old Mr Carr.

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"When I stood up my legs were really wobbly, they felt like jelly."

The incident was reported to Northamptonshire Police the same day and the force says it has launched an investigation.

After leaving the man's house, Mr Carr received treatment at Abbey House Surgery where he was given a tetanus jab and antibiotics to prevent infection.

Mr Carr, who was standing as an independent in the Abbey North ward in this year's local elections, could not attend the count because of his injuries and said incidents like these were common among campaigning councillors.

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"Every year councillors get attacked by dogs while canvassing and people should be aware of dogs roaming free in homes to attack people's fingers when leaflets or letters go through letterboxes," he said.

"People should know how dangerous it is."

He added: "Why do they still have letterboxes in front doors? Can't they them on the wall or at the end of the footpath?"

A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said: "We are investigating an incident where a man was bitten by a dog in Highfield Road, Daventry, at some point between 10am and 11am on Thursday, May 3.

"The dog believed to have been involved in the incident has been taken to kennels while the investigation continues."