A man has been charged as part of an ongoing police probe into the death of a grandmother killed by two XL bully dogs in what is the first case to be charged under new laws on owning the breed.

Esther Martin, 68, was savaged to death by two XL bullies in Jaywick in Essex on February 3 this year.

An inquest hearing was told that she was found unresponsive inside a property in Hillman Avenue and had sustained “unsurvivable” dog bite wounds.

Essex Police said on Thursday that Ashley Warren has been charged with two counts of owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.

The 40-year-old, of Walnut Road in Leyton, east London, and formerly of Hillman Avenue, Jaywick, was also charged with two counts of possession or having custody of a fighting dog.

The force said he was also charged with two offences under the Animal Welfare Act, possession of a bladed article and possession of a Class B drug.

Essex Police said it is the first case to be charged since new laws on owning XL bullies came into force earlier this year.

Ms Martin, who was staying at the address in Hillman Avenue but lived in Woodford Green in east London, was found along with “two large dogs”, an inquest was told as proceedings were opened then suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Her medical cause of death was recorded as “dog bite wounds to the upper right limb”.

Two dogs were destroyed at the scene and were later confirmed by Essex Police to be XL bullies.

Warren is due to appear before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on August 22.