A close friend of the father mauled to death by two dogs - thought to have been XL Bullies - has begged people to stop sharing distressing footage of his last moments.
It is understood Ian Price, 52, was defending his elderly mother from the devil dogs, which then attacked him on a residential street near a primary school in Stonnall, Staffordshire, last week. It has since been said the owner of the two XL Bullies bragged he was "building a lion" before the attack.
Distressing video of the horror, which Mirror deemed to distressing and inappropriate to publish, has been shared widely on social media. Pupils and staff at the school near the attack, which Ian's daughter attends, have reportedly seen the clip.
Rob Ellwood, who was Ian's close friend, has today pleaded people to refrain from circulating the footage further, branding it "sick". He wants people to remove it from their phones and other devices altogether.
Speaking today to Express and Star, Rob said: "The big issue I’m having is people sharing the sick video that was filmed right next to Ian been attacked. I’m trying as much as possible to get it taken down and to stop people sharing it.
"Nobody should ever see it. I have watched it myself and I still cry at the thought of what he went through. This morning I had a call to say it’s been shared around the school his daughter attends. How do they think that’s going to help her at this time? It just blows my mind the way some people tick and how they have survived this long in life if that’s all they're interested in."
A 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with the death. He has since been released on conditional bail, Staffordshire Police said on Saturday. The force confirmed the man, from the Lichfield area, has been interviewed a number of times and has been released pending further enquiries.
It also addressed the circulation of the video, reinforcing Rob's point the clip shouldn't be shared and should be removed from social media platforms. The spokesman reminded internet users the family is still grieving following the "horrendous incident".
"We are aware that video footage of the recent dog attack in Stonnall where a man sadly died is now being circulated on social media. This was a horrendous incident and we understand that the impact felt by the local community is large," Staffordshire Police said today.
"However, we would urge anyone with footage of the attack to not post or share it on social media for the sake of the victim’s family. It’s important that anyone with video evidence from this incident send it to us instead. Please call us on 101 quoting incident number 405 of 14 September. Alternatively you can message us using Live Chat on our website – orlo.uk/lFjXp or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
Tributes have poured in for Ian, a father of two, who was a big Aston Villa supporter. One couple, from Stonnall, said: "You will really be missed around the village. Sending all the love and support we can to Heather and the kids. RIP Ian."
Another friend wrote online: "RIP Ian. Can’t stop thinking about this absolute tragedy. Your early morning Facebook posts were always something I looked forward to. Sending condolences to Ian’s family."
A fundraiser organised by Rob Ellwood for Ian's family has so far raised more than £20,000. To donate, go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rob-ellwood.