Dog bites on the increase

Hospital admissions for dog bites have risen in England by more than 5% on last year.

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that 6,450 people were admitted during the 12 months to April this year, compared with 6,130 the previous year.

The worst-affected group was children aged under 10, who accounted for more than 1,000 admissions.

Three-quarters of those children needed surgery.

Of the 1,040 admissions among children aged under 10 for dog bites and strikes, 494 admissions were for plastic surgery and 278 were to the oral and facial surgery unit.

During the 12 months from May 2011 to April 2012, hospital admissions for all conditions increased by 1.3%.