Pit bull victim Ellie to be buried today

The funeral of a young girl savaged by a pit bull terrier will take place today.

Five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was killed by her uncle’s dog in Merseyside, England in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

She was staying at her grandmother’s house while her parents, Lyndsey Simpson and Darren Lawrenson celebrated New Year’s Eve.

Ellie died at the scene and her grandmother, 46-year-old Jackie Simpson, suffered severe arm injuries while trying to stop the attack.

Ms Simpson has since been discharged from hospital but remains too traumatised to be questioned by police.

The funeral will take place at 12.45pm.

The dog, a one-year-old male named Reuben, was shot dead by police marksmen.

It belonged to Ellie’s uncle, 23-year-old Kiel Simpson, who also lived at Mrs Simpson’s house. He was questioned by police over the incident but was not arrested.

Fifty-nine suspected pit bull terriers have been seized in Merseyside since the tragedy – 29 of them during a major police operation in Knowsley yesterday.

Merseyside Police said the operation had been planned for several months and was not directly linked to Ellie’s death.

A spokesman added the family had requested that the media not attend the funeral.