Dog bites woman's cheek off as she tries to protect her baby

The 26 year-old, named locally as Waheed Akhtar, was taken to a specialist plastic surgery unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary after the attack in Huddersfield yesterday afternoon. Her condition is described as "stable".

After a search involving the police helicopter, two men from the Lockwood area of Huddersfield were arrested under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The attack happened as Ms Akhtar was holding a pram and talking to neighbours in Upper Mount Street, Thornton Lodge.

Witnesses said the dog, described as an American bull terrier, leapt up at her pram. And grabbed Ms Akhtar as she turned round to defend her baby.

It bit her leg and dragged her to the ground before biting her cheek off. Neighbours armed with shovels beat the dog until it began to loose consciousness and let go.

A neighbour said: "It was horrendous. The dog grabbed her head and dragged her one metre into the road.

"I came out, grabbed a stone and hit the dog. At that point I knew it wouldn't do the trick so I got a thick piece of timber and whacked it on the head.

"I don't know how many times I bashed it. If it had grabbed a little child it would have died.

Locals said the dog lived across the road from a local school.

A police spokesman said: "We received a call at about 1.41pm to a report of a woman that had been bitten by a dog in Upper Mount Street, Huddersfield.

"Police officers and the police helicopter were deployed to the area to attend to the woman and search for the dog and a man who was believed to be with the dog.

"The woman has been taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with facial and leg injuries."