Hinckley schoolboy left terrified after dog attack

UNITED KINGDOM -- An 11-year-boy was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier on his way to school, leaving him terrified of dogs and suffering from nightmares.

The animal, which had been let off its lead, latched on to Thomas Brown's jaw as he made his way along Middlefield Lane, Hinckley.

The bite left the youngster with puncture wounds on his face.

However, the mental scars left by the incident are more severe, the youngster's mother said.

The attack echoes the horrific incident in Mountsorrel on Tuesday, in which four-year-old Lexi Branson was mauled by her pet bull dog.

Recalling the incident in which he was injured, Thomas, a pupil at Mount Grace school, in Hinckley, said: "I was walking to school with my mates and I looked behind me and there was a man with a dog.

"He let the dog off the lead and it came running at me so I bent down to stroke it, but it bit me on the face."

Thomas's two friends managed to drag the animal away.

The owner reattached the lead and ran off along Middlefield Lane.

Thomas said: "I still feel a bit scared. If I see a dog I have to cross the road. I try to walk away. I have nightmares, too – of a dog biting me. I don't like going to sleep."

He said he had heard about the death of Lexi. "I think it's really bad," he said. "I feel really sorry for the family."

Thomas's mum, Louise, 32, said: "He used to love dogs, but now he's terrified of them.

"He's not himself now – he's become really quiet. It has really affected him."

She said she thought of her son the minute she heard news of Lexi's death, knowing he was "lucky" compared to the little girl.

Louise said she did not blame the animal for the attack on her son, which happened at about 8.10am on Wednesday, October 2.

"It's the owner's fault," she said. "He's responsible for the dog. But it needs to be found now, it has tasted blood. Who knows whether it will attack again and how bad the next time will be."

Thomas went to hospital after the incident and doctors applied strips to keep the wounds closed.

Police are investigating the attack on Thomas and are asking anyone who might have witnessed the incident to come forward. The dog was described as a pure white Staffordshire bull terrier.

Pc Chris Gutteridge, who is investigating the incident, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who was in Middlefield Lane, who may have seen this incident or anyone who can provide us with any information about the dog and its owner."

Anyone with information can call police on 101.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

(Leicester Mercury - Nov 7, 2013)