A 12-year-old was savaged by a dog and left with life-changing facial injuries while picking flowers in Morden Park on Saturday.

The girl was in the park near Hillcross Avenue with her mother and sister when the rottweiler lost control in front of its owner.

Surgeons have already operated on the girl from Morden once, and are believed to be preparing for further surgery after the dog mauled her face, according to police.

Some witness reports suggest the dog fully clasped its jaws around the girl’s head.

Officers were called to the scene just after 3pm, arresting the owner - a 57-year-old, also from Morden - and taking the dog to a police kennel were it will be kept before a decision is made as to whether to put it down.

The owner has been released from custody on bail and will return to a Merton police station next month. The rottweiler is not believed to be a banned bread.

The girl’s family were unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

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