A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a three-week-old baby following a dog attack.
The boy – named locally as Reggie – was rushed to hospital early on Saturday morning from his home in Sunderland but died later.
Flowers have been left outside the semi-detached house in Falkland Road with tributes and messages of support.
A relative, who did not want to be identified, said the boy’s mother was not in the house when the baby was attacked.
He said that although the baby’s mother was out, the youngster had not been left alone.
The man said the dog – said to be a small terrier - was usually kept outside, in an outhouse, and was never left alone with the children.
He described it as a good-natured animal.
He said the family was devastated and wanted to know how the attack could have happened.
Northumbria Police said the dog had been removed from the address and was likely to be destroyed. Officers stressed it no longer posed a danger.
A spokesman said a 30-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the incident and is helping police with their inquiries.
He confirmed the man was inside the property at the time of the incident. He said officers were called to the property at 4.15am on Saturday.
A number of bunches of flowers had been laid against the front wall of the house in the quiet, tree-lined street.
Some were accompanied with messages of support. One said: “Thoughts with you and all the family.”
The blinds of the house were drawn on Saturday afternoon and the only sign of any incident was the police presence outside.
Uniformed police were patrolling in the area and a police van was parked directly outside the front of the property.
Neighbours said they were shocked by what happened and said the mother, who has two other children living with her, had been overjoyed by the baby’s recent birth.
One said: “I know what I feel like and she must be worse. It’s such a shock. I can’t get over it.”
Guardian