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Tributes were paid yesterday to a dad-of-two who was mauled to death by two XL Bully dogs in a quiet village.

Aston Villa fan Ian Price, 52, was attacked by the crazed animals just yards from his family home. He had been visiting his elderly mum, who lives opposite, when the dogs escaped from a neighbouring property. Horrified neighbours heard Ian’s screams as the XL Bullies launched their savage attack on Thursday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses in Stonnall, Staffs, told how the dogs tore his clothes from his body. Ian, who ran a restoration business from the family home, was airlifted to hospital but died from his injuries. His wife Heather, 50, is a teaching assistant at the village primary school, which was put into lockdown during the attack.

A local said: “We assume the poor woman was locked inside the school with the kids and had no idea her husband was the victim.” Neighbour Amanda Ward, 55, said her student nurse daughter witnessed the horror attack on Thursday. Apparently the dogs got out of a window and attacked Ian as he was outside his mum’s house,” she said.

The attack took place on Main Street in Stonnall, north of Aldridge ( Image: Ryan Underwood)

“My daughter hearing screaming and barking and came running out to see what was happening. One of the dogs, a white one, was covered in blood and wagging its tail. She said it was a horrific sight. The dogs ripped the clothes off the poor man, literally shredded his clothes. He was only in his boxers. Some other neighbours were using wheelie bins to keep the dogs away from him. He was in a terrible state.”

Another eyewitness said that Mr Price was attempting to protect his elderly mum after the dogs got through the hedge behind her house and appeared in her garden. They told the Sun: “It was so awful. He was mauled to death and it was just horrendous. The dogs got through the hedge behind the house and appeared in the elderly lady’s garden. Both dogs set on him. Neighbours came out to help but many stood on this side of the fence because they were too frightened to get involved.