A one-year-old boy mauled to death by a family pet was today named by police as Archie-Lee Andrew Hirst.

The boy, who celebrated his first birthday on November 4, was snatched from the arms of a seven-year-old girl by his grandparents' rottweiler yesterday.

Police said the child then alerted the boy's 16-year-old aunt to the attack and she bravely attempted to wrestle Archie-Lee from the dog before contacting the emergency services.

The full horrific details of the attack in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, were revealed as police continued their investigation.

Archie-Lee was taken to Pinderfields General Hospital at around 3.40pm with serious injuries but died last night.

Armed officers also attended the address within nine minutes of the emergency call.

They found the rottweiler in an agitated state, "clearly representing a potential danger to others", and the animal was destroyed.

Detective Superintendent Steve Payne, who is leading the investigation, said: "Clearly our thoughts go out to the family at this tragic time.

"They are understandably devastated by what has happened and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"The circumstances of the incident are still unfolding and we are speaking to the children that were present at the scene. The boy who died was staying at his grandparents' house during the Christmas holidays."

Det Supt Payne added that the dog was a two-and-a-half-year-old female rottweiler, which the family had owned for about six months.

"Although the dog lived in the yard of the premises, it had interacted with members of the family including children, and another dog and cat at the house, and had showed no previous signs of any aggression," he said.

A 16-year-old girl, the aunt of the one-year-old boy, was inside the house also caring for two girls, aged six and seven.

"This was a common occurrence and again the 16 year old and the children were known by the dog."

The parents of the child was on the scene within a matter of minutes and tended to the other children.

Forensic officers are still examining the scene and police investigations are ongoing.

A police spokesman said a post-mortem examination would be conducted today and the identity of the child would be released in due course.

A five-year-old girl was savaged to death by a family pet on New Year’s Day this year. Ellie Lawrenson was mauled by a pitbull terrier while at her grandmother’s home in St Helens, Merseyside.

The dog, Reuben, belonged to her uncle Kiel. Ellie’s grandmother, Jacqueline Simpson, was tried for manslaughter at Liverpool Crown Court this year, but found not guilty.

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