One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “The saddest thing is that we are not surprised. It was only a matter of time. We did not get involved with the people there because of the problems with the dog.
“We reported it to police in 2009 but they said that although it was not treated kindly they could not do anything. The dog was kept chained up outside in all weathers. The other one was a different breed and it jumps our fence into the garden...
“I saw her at 8pm yesterday and we waved to each other. I don’t think they ever took the dog out but I always see it in the back garden.”