Pictured: Baby girl mauled to death by pit bull type dog as mother and stepfather are arrested on suspicion of manslaughter

Victim: Ava-Jayne Corless, aged 11 months, has been mauled to death by a pet dog

The father of a baby girl who was mauled to death by a pet dog today paid tribute to his 'beautiful little girl'.
Ava-Jayne Corless, aged 11 months, was rushed to hospital at around 11pm yesterday after she was attacked by a pit bull while in bed at her stepfather's home in Blackburn, Lancashire.
Police officers and paramedics attempted to revive her but she was pronounced dead at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.
The victim's mother and stepfather, who were downstairs at the time of the attack, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The exact breed of the pet - which has now been destroyed - is not known, but police believe that it was 'an American pit bull type'.
Ava-Jayne's father Dean Corless today revealed his grief at hearing of the attack, saying: 'I am absolutely devastated after what has happened. I found out late last night and rushed to the hospital to see her straight away.'
The 24-year-old added: 'She was the most beautiful and adorable little girl, she was just the best. She was my whole world.
'I will miss her every single day, I just don't know what to do now. It is just so tragic. I have my family around me now, but we are all devastated.'

Parent: Ava-Jayne with her mother Chloe King, who has been arrested over the girl's death

Family: The baby pictured with her mother and father Dean Corless, who has paid tribute to her

Grandmother Bernadette Corless added: 'She was so young, it is so unfair for a baby to be taken away at that age.
'She was just beautiful - like a china doll. She was a lively baby and was always happy.'

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Mr Corless said that he dated Ava-Jayne's mother, Chloe King, for four years before the pair split up last summer.
Ms King, 20, and her new boyfriend Lee Wright, 26, were arrested in the wake of the girl's death and questioned on suspicion of child neglect, before being re-arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

A post-mortem will take place to find out the exact cause of death.

Arrest: The victim's stepfather Lee Wright is being questioned by police on suspicion of manslaughter

'Beautiful and adorable': Mr Corless described his devastation at learning of his daughter's death

Chief Superintendent Chris Bithell said: 'This is an absolutely horrific incident in which a baby girl has lost her life and I would like to take this opportunity to express my own personal sympathy to the wider family of baby Ava.
Recounting the details of the attack, he added: 'The baby was upstairs in a bed in one of the front bedrooms and the two people who are currently in custody, they were downstairs when the attack took place.
'The dog is believed to be an American pit bull type, it has been destroyed and tests will be carried out today to establish the exact breed of the dog and inquiries into the history of the animal.'
Police are investigating claims that neighbours have previously complained about dangerous dogs living at the house.
Local residents reported seeing police struggle to enter the house on Emily Street as the cross-breed dog raged out of control.

Touching: Mr Corless spoke of his grief at the death of his daughter, pictured with him as a newborn

Holiday: Ava-Jayne with her mother playing on the beach in a family photo uploaded to Facebook

A specialist team later managed to detain the animal and took it away as part of the investigation before destroying it.
The dog, described by neighbours as 'vicious and terrifying', apparently attacked and killed a cat in the area last year, prompting questions as to why it was not brought under control earlier.
'That dog is a menace, it was a nightmare for neighbours and people were terrified of approaching it in the street,' said next-door neighbour Brian Harrison.
'Such a small girl against the dog is an unfair battle. It's an absolute tragedy that should never have happened - there's been plenty of warning signs in the past.

'Only last year it mauled to death a neighbour's cat and nothing was done about it.'

Tragic: A child has died after being mauled by a pet dog at a house in Emily Street in Blackburn, pictured

Investigation: Police cordoned off the street after arresting the victim's mother and stepfather

'Horrific': Chief Inspector Chris Bithell briefs the media on the progress of the investigation

He added: 'I'm surprised that such a tiny baby has been allowed around it, I'm sure there's days when it's OK but it only takes one thing to trigger it.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'The baby was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital but sadly passed away a short time later.
'Officers are continuing to carry out enquiries at the scene and investigate the circumstances of what has happened.'

Detective Superintendent Simon Giles added: 'This is a tragic incident and specially trained officers are offering support to the wider family. A full investigation is underway.'

Danger: The dog was described as a 'menace' before the attack and previously killed a neighbour's cat

Attack: The incident took place in a residential area to the north-east of the town centre

In the wake of Ava-Jayne's death, the union that represents postal workers called for a major crackdown on dangerous dogs in order to prevent similar incidents in future.
'This is another tragic loss of life and demonstrates the out of control situation that we have in the UK with irresponsible dog ownership,' a spokesman for the CWU said.
'There have been 23 deaths from dog attacks in the UK, the majority of which have been young children, and four of these have occurred since 2005. Worryingly, there has been a sharp increase in recent years.
'Dog control laws in England and Wales are rightly being strengthened later this year. Current arrangements are simply not good enough and the punishments do not fit the crimes.'