The victim is believed to have been a lodger at the house in Wallington Police have said they “urgently” want to speak to the owner of a “ferocious” dog which killed a woman in London.
Alex Blackburn-Smith, 34, is believed to be the owner of the animal, thought to be a Belgian mastiff, and the main occupier of the house in Wallington where the attack took place.
The victim, named locally as Barbara Williams, was grappling with the dog when armed police arrived on Thursday.
They shot the animal dead but could not save the woman, thought to be a lawyer.
Det Ch Supt Guy Ferguson, of the Metropolitan Police, said he believed Mr Blackburn-Smith already realised he was being sought over the attack.
“I think he knows of our interest,” he said.
“My information is he lives at that address and has a 1976 date of birth, and we are making inquiries to speak to him.”
He said officers were confronted by “a ferocious dog” when they arrived at the property in Demesne Road.
He said he believed the victim lodged at the house, which was “controlled” by Mr Blackburn-Smith.
A child aged under five was upstairs when the attack happened but was not hurt, while another female lodger was also present.
Det Chief Supt Guy Ferguson says officers were still trying to establish what happened on Thursday evening
The dog was “distinctly large”, Det Ch Supt Ferguson said, and officers had to use shields to control it.
A neighbour, Burhan Yanbolu, said he “didn’t have anything to do” with those at the house because of their “big, strong dog”.
“There were two dogs and the big one would lean against the fence and could see over it on its hind legs,” he said.
The local authority for Wallington, Sutton Council, said it received a complaint about another smaller dog at the property last year.
“The council and the police’s Safer Neighbourhood Team were contacted in connection with the smaller dog and damage to a fence at this address in August 2009,” said Councillor Colin Hall.
“At that point there were no legal grounds for the council to intervene on the basis of our statutory powers. There have been no subsequent complaints.”
Police said they would investigate whether they had received such a complaint.
They have also removed a younger dog from the home, which is being examined by forensics officers.
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