Dogs will be collected by trained officers

The week long initiative was launched on Wednesday morning, to give owners of illegal dog breeds the chance to hand in their pets without being prosecuted.

The amnesty covers pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brazileiro breeds, which are banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.

Police received more than 100 inquiries in the first 12 hours of the amnesty.

Fatally mauled

The initiative follows the death of five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson, who was fatally mauled by a dog on New Year's Day.

Ellie was killed by her uncle's pit bull terrier at her grandmother's house in St Helens.

The one-year-old dog, called Rueben, was shot dead after the attack in which Ellie's grandmother was also hurt.

Ellie's uncle, 23-year-old Kiel Simpson, was questioned over the attack but not arrested.

Micro-chipped

Police said it was up to dog owners to contact them to arrange for illegal dog breeds to be collected from their homes during the amnesty.

However, if owners of banned dogs choose not to hand them over voluntarily by the time the amnesty ends at midnight next Tuesday, they will have their animals seized and could also face a �5,000 fine and six months imprisonment.

The court would then decide if the dog was to be destroyed.

If the dog was not put down, it would be placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs but it would have to be neutered, tattooed and micro-chipped in addition to being kept on a lead and muzzled when in a public place.