A SEVEN-year-old boy was nearly killed when a savage dog clamped its jaws around his face in a children s playground. Wassim Seghir was mauled by the Staffordshire bull terrier while playing near his home in Rosalind House on the Arden estate in Hoxton...

A SEVEN-year-old boy was nearly killed when a savage dog clamped its jaws around his face in a children's playground.

Wassim Seghir was mauled by the Staffordshire bull terrier while playing near his home in Rosalind House on the Arden estate in Hoxton.

The dog had escaped from a nearby garden and jumped over a fence into the children's play area.

It leapt at Wassim and clamped its jaws around his head, missing his right eye by half an inch.

Wassim underwent emergency surgery after being rushed to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

He stayed in hospital for a fortnight before returning home last Thursday.

A spokesman for Hackney police confirmed that an investigation is under way. No arrests have been made.

The dog has been destroyed at the owner's request.

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