A boy is being treated in hospital after being bitten in the head by a dog, believed to be an XL bully.

The eight-year-old was attacked in a communal area of flats near Wadham Road, Bootle at about 17:20 GMT on Saturday, Merseyside Police said.

He was taken to hospital where he is in a stable but serious condition.

A 49-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, who are not related to the child, have been arrested, while the dog has been seized by police.

The pair were detained on suspicion of being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.

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Det Insp Gary Stratton, from Merseyside Police, said: “I want to reassure people that [the boy] is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing.”