A MAN found dead at a flat in Valkyrie Road, Westcliff, was attacked by a dog, the Echo can reveal.

A post-mortem has revealed that the man found at a property on Valkyrie Road on Tuesday received injuries to his lower body consistent with dog bites prior to his death.

He then suffered internal bleeding following a laceration to the spleen, but it is not yet known how this was caused.

A Staffordshire bull terrier was removed from the address and has since been put down.

A police spokesman said: "There appears to have been an incident whereby the man was bitten by the dog. It’s likely that during this incident the man sustained injury to his back and this then caused damaged to his spleen. It is not possible to say how that back injury was caused.”

Officers were called to the property by the ambulance service at 6.10pm on Tuesday and discovered the man’s body.

Following enquiries at the scene, police arrested a 36-year-old woman from Southend and, after questioning at Southend Police Station, was later released with no further action.

A police cordon was set up at the property for forensic investigation but, although the death was initially treated as suspicious, it is now regarded as non-suspicious.
 

Echo:

The police spokesman added: “The death of a man found at a flat in Valkyrie Road, Westcliff, on Tuesday is now not being treated as suspicious.

"Prior to this death, the 46-year-old man from Westcliff received injuries to his lower body consistent with dog bites.

“A Staffordshire bull terrier was removed from the address and has since been put down.

"A post-mortem examination found the initial cause of death to be internal bleeding following a laceration to the spleen. Police will now prepare a file for the coroner."