A dog instructor from Southampton has spoken out in favour of calls to ban the American XL Bulldog.

This comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "he shared the nation's horror" after an 11-year-old girl was attacked by an 'XL Bully' in Birmingham.

Kennel Club accredited instructor Sean Knowlson, 55, from Nursling, has worked with canines for 35 years, honing his talent as a dog behaviourist.

He has called for the American XL Bulldog to be banned in the UK, stating the breed can “kill you”.

He told the Echo: “I do support the ban; I think they should be taken out of circulation.

“It’s in the dog’s nature to be aggressive but there are plenty of owners who buy these dogs who aren’t suitable.

“I’d say last year I turned down a dozen people – one a month – looking to train an XL Bully for personal protection, but no member of the public should need a dog for personal protection, especially if it’s being trained to attack people.”

Mr Knowlson established The Hampshire Dog Club in 2010, before being recognised at this year’s Crufts international dog show as a Kennel Club accredited instructor.

READ MORE: Southampton man feared dog was dead after XL Bully attack

Daily Echo:

Last year he wrote to Romsey and Southampton North MP, Caroline Nokes as well as Home Secretary Suella Braverman raising his concerns after a spate of incidents nationally.

Though he received a reply from Ms Nokes – directing him to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – Mr Knowlson said his concerns were “ignored” by the Home Secretary.

He added: “It’s in the Bully’s DNA – it’s breed for this type of behaviour.

“They’re not necessarily difficult to train – but you do need the right owner for the dog – they need to be responsible, but they can definitely be unpredictable.

“I have a young daughter and I won’t even take her to a public park because you can’t always trust the owners.”

Mr Knowlson is in favour of banning the dog in the UK. But he added: “Of course, I understand there is opposition to it – but you could own a lion, it would still want to eat you!

“The frustrating thing is, if they are banned people will just move onto the next breed and go onto something else – whether it’s German Shepherds or Rottweiler’s.”