Tributes to boy, 9, mauled to death by dog during caravan holiday

The family of a nine-year-old boy mauled to death by a dog have paid tribute to him as a ‘very happy cheeky boy’.

Frankie Macritchie, from Plymouth, died while on holiday at Tencreek Holiday Park in Looe, Cornwall on Saturday.

He is believed to have been alone in a caravan with the ‘bulldog-type breed’ when he was attacked.

Frankie Macritchie. See SWNS story SWPLshrine. A primary school has opened during the Easter holidays to be turned into a shrine to honour a nine-year-old boy killed in a dog attack.Tributes have been flooding in for Frankie Macritchie after he was killed by a "bulldog-type" breed while alone in a caravan.The school he attended has opened up especially during the Easter Holidays for his classmates to lay flowers and write in a special condolence book.Specialist staff and psychologists are also helping fellow pupils come to terms with the tragedy.
Tributes have been flooding in for Frankie Macritchie after he was killed by a ‘bulldog-type’ breed while alone in a caravan (Picture: SWNS)
Relatives leave flowers at the entrance to Tencreek Holiday Park, Looe, Cornwall today. April 14, 2019, where Frankie Macritchie (9) was tragically killed by a large dog in the early hours of Saturday morning. See SWNS story SWPLdog. Police were called to a caravan at Tencreek Holiday Park in Looe just before 5am on Saturday (13/4) morning, following reports of a 9-year-old boy in an unresponsive state after being attacked by a dog, believed to be a bulldog-type breed. Emergency services attended but tragically the child was pronounced deceased at the scene. The boy?s next of kin are aware and are being supported by police officers. Following this incident, searches were undertaken to locate the dog and its owner. Police arrested a 28-year-old woman near Plymouth just after 8am on the same morning in connection to this matter. The dog was also located which has since been transferred to kennels.
Relatives leave flowers at the entrance to Tencreek Holiday Park, Looe, Cornwall (Picture: SWNS)

In a tribute issued through Devon and Cornwall Police, his family said the schoolboy had a ‘special heart’.

They said: ‘Frankie was a very happy cheeky boy.

‘He had a very special heart and was a fighter from the minute he was born, he was Mummy’s Boy and Daddy’s soldier.’

The statement described how Frankie was loved by his ‘Nanna and Grumps’.

It continued: ‘He loved trampolining and feeding lambs with his cousins, eating chips on the seafront, and sleepovers at all his Aunties’ and Uncles’ houses.

Relatives leave flowers at the entrance to Tencreek Holiday Park, Looe, Cornwall today. April 14, 2019, where Frankie Macritchie (9) was tragically killed by a large dog in the early hours of Saturday morning. See SWNS story SWPLdog. Police were called to a caravan at Tencreek Holiday Park in Looe just before 5am on Saturday (13/4) morning, following reports of a 9-year-old boy in an unresponsive state after being attacked by a dog, believed to be a bulldog-type breed. Emergency services attended but tragically the child was pronounced deceased at the scene. The boy?s next of kin are aware and are being supported by police officers. Following this incident, searches were undertaken to locate the dog and its owner. Police arrested a 28-year-old woman near Plymouth just after 8am on the same morning in connection to this matter. The dog was also located which has since been transferred to kennels.
Police were called to a caravan at Tencreek Holiday Park in Looe just before 5am on Saturday (Picture: SWNS)

‘Our wonderful little Frankie will be so very missed by all of his family with every breath that we take.

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‘The family of Frankie Gray Macritchie would also like to thank the medical staff, police, staff at Tencreek Holiday Park, and the kind caring people that came to Frankie’s aid.

‘We would now like to ask for some privacy to be able to grieve for the loss of our boy.’

Police said enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Frankie’s death were continuing.

Tributes have been let outside of the Riverside Community School in Plymouth, Devon, following the death of Frankie Macritchie. April 16 2019. See SWNS story SWPLshrine. A primary school has opened during the Easter holidays to be turned into a shrine to honour a nine-year-old boy killed in a dog attack.Tributes have been flooding in for Frankie Macritchie after he was killed by a "bulldog-type" breed while alone in a caravan.The school he attended has opened up especially during the Easter Holidays for his classmates to lay flowers and write in a special condolence book.Specialist staff and psychologists are also helping fellow pupils come to terms with the tragedy.
Tributes have been let outside of the Riverside Community School in Plymouth, Devon, following the death of Frankie Macritchie (Picture SWNS.COM)

Speaking on Sunday, Detective Superintendent Mike West said: ‘Frankie had been staying at the Holiday Park in the company of adults for a number of evenings prior to his tragic death.

‘We believe that Frankie was alone in a caravan with the dog as he was attacked, whilst … the adults that he was on holiday with, were in an adjacent unit.

‘These two groups of people were all known to each other and all from the Plymouth area.’