Prisons Commissioner Eddie Lamb has expressed his family’s “sincere regret” after their pit bull escaped from its kennel and killed a neighbour’s Yorkshire terrier in St David’s.

Lieutenant Colonel Lamb told The Royal Gazette that the incident had “greatly upset both families” but did not explain how his dog got out of its “locked kennel” and “fenced off yard” onto Texas Road on Sunday afternoon.

The Yorkie died from its injuries at the scene, in front of its owner and her nine-year-old daughter, and the pit bull was destroyed on Monday.

Lt Col Lamb, in response to questions from this newspaper, said in an e-mailed statement: “This is a very sad incident which has greatly upset both families involved. We have expressed our sincere regret to the owners of the dog, with whom we are well acquainted.

“My family and I were not at home at the time of the incident, having left my licensed dogs well secured in their locked kennel and inside an entirely fenced off yard. I personally took my dog to the vet and had it put down following this incident. Both of our families are working together to get through this traumatic experience.”

The Yorkshire terrier’s owner said she was not ready to talk about the attack.

Lt Col Lamb and his wife Ruby, principal of Devonshire Pre-School, have previously spoken about their love of pit bulls.

In May 2011, after a nine-year-old boy was mauled by a pit bull and the dog’s owner was fined $10,000, Mrs Lamb was interviewed by this newspaper about her family’s pets.

She said she had recently invited a group of preschool students to her home to visit ten-month-old pit bull Major.

“It was my attempt to teach young students that even dogs need to be brought up in a home where proper training and discipline is enforced,” she said. “The recent bad publicity about pit bulls should really be directed at irresponsible owners rather than the dogs themselves.

“We have found that pit bulls that are raised in a nurturing and structured environment are in fact quite loyal, affectionate and loving towards children and adults alike. Over the years, our home has always been full of children and we have never had a negative experience or incident involving our pit bulls.”

Under the Dogs Act 1978, dog owners commit an offence if their pet causes injury or damage to another person or animal. Those found guilty of an offence against the Act are liable to a fine of $10,000 or a six-month jail term.

The Act states that owners of dogs who kill other domestic animals are liable for damages.

Asked if the Lambs were likely to face charges, a Bermuda Police Service spokesman said yesterday: “At present there is an investigation that is under way. At the end of the investigation, we will make a determination as to a way forward.”

Pit bull terriers, along with 11 other breeds, are banned in Bermuda, though past amnesties by the Department of Environmental Protection have allowed owners to get their dogs licensed. It is believed that the Island has 825 licensed pit bulls but twice that many unlicensed.

As this newspaper reported yesterday, the Canine Advisory Committee has recommended to Government that it remove most banned breeds from the prohibited list and place them on a restricted, managed list.

Bermuda has 4,533 licensed dogs in total, according to Government’s last Budget Book, which is estimated to be less than 60 percent of the total number of dogs on the Island.

Animal control wardens responded to 755 incidents and complaints in the financial year 2011/12.

Government said in August that it had “vigorously” pursued numerous recent infractions of the Dogs Act through the courts, citing 17 cases in the past year which were sent for prosecution.

The Department of Environmental Protection released figures last month showing that pit bulls were responsible for 141 of the 259 “important complaints” made about dogs in 2012 and 2013.

Of those 141 complaints, 37 involved a pit bull biting or injuring another animal, 20 involved biting or injuring a person and 26 involved chasing or threatening behaviour.

There were 27 complaints about improper care of pit bulls and four about cruelty involving dog fighting.