This is the first picture of a widow who was mauled to death by two crazed dogs in her home.

Carol Hall, 78, died after the animals attacked her in Bilston, Wolverhampton, late on Wednesday night.

The dogs, the breed of which has not been revealed, were destroyed at the scene.

A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death.

Tributes were paid to Mrs Hall, whose husband Dennis died several years ago, on social media today.

Friend David Williams posted a photo of Mrs Hall with her pet dog on Facebook.

He wrote: ‘Sad to hear my good friend Carol Hall has passed.

‘We had loads of laughs at The Village with you and Den. You are together again.

‘Rest peacefully now my friend.’

Another friend, Elizabeth Wallace, wrote: ‘RIP Carol. Such a lovely, caring lady. May you get the best bed in heaven.’

Relatives visited the scene of the attack today but said it was ‘too soon’ to talk.

Neighbours described Mrs Hall as a ‘diamond’ who had lived in the ground-floor housing association flat for years.

‘Everyone around here knew her so well,’ said one resident. ‘She was tiny but had bright red dyed hair, you couldn’t miss her.

‘She was so kind-hearted and will be hugely missed by everyone. It’s a tragedy.’

Paramedics rushed to a ground-floor flat on Willis Pearson Avenue, Wolverhampton, at 11.30pm on Wednesday following reports that an elderly woman was injured.

Mrs Hall - a retired lock factory worker - was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbours said Mrs Hall lived in a ground floor flat with a man believed to be a relative who owned two 'huge' dogs.

Sam Wright, 64, said Mrs Hall 'would not have stood a chance' when attacked.

He said he had last seen her at around 3pm on Wednesday when she returned from a shopping trip in a taxi.

Sam described Mrs Hall as a 'lovely woman' and said her husband, Dennis, died several years ago.

'They were a lovely couple, always out and about doing things,' he said.

'They were hardly ever home, but then sadly he died.'

Mr Wright said the two dogs were 'Rotweiller-like' and very powerful.

'They were really big dogs,' he said.

'The other day a bloke was walking down the road with his kid and they turned back because of the dogs.

'I used to see the guy who lived with Carol walking them, but it was more like them walking him, they would drag him down the road.

'He had no control over them whatsoever.

'The two dogs had been there about two or three months.

'The younger guy used to come and go. Carol would not have stood a chance.

'I saw her daughter outside earlier and she was telling someone "My mum's been killed by the dogs".

'It's horrendous to think about.

'There's no way she could have fended them off because they were so big.

'She was only a slight lady, around 5ft, with dyed red hair.

'She recently gave up driving. Before that she had a disability car.

'She used to work at a lock factory in Bilston but retired years ago.'

The neighbour continued: 'I didn't hear anything last night but when I woke up this morning I saw the windows smashed, so that's probably where they tried to get in.

'I never saw her walking the dogs, they were way too big for her to handle.'

A card left with flowers outside the housing association flat read: 'Carol, may you rest in eternal peace.

'A massive part of the community taken too soon. Thoughts go out to all your family.'

Anyone with information has been urged to contact West Midlands Police on 101 or via the Live Chat option on its website, quoting log number 6073 of 15 April.