Sister tells of horror over dog attack on mother-of-two

THE sister of a woman whose cheek was ripped open by a dog as she tried to protect her young son told how she watched in horror as the attack unfolded.

Nareed Akhtar, 27, saw the dog, thought to be an American bull terrier, maul her sister Waheed's face when they stopped to chat to neighbours in Huddersfield, with their children.

The animal tore a chunk from her cheek and she was rushed to hospital, where she is said to be in a stable condition after the incident which happened at 1.40pm on Tuesday.

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The sisters were taking their children to the park to take advantage of the sunny weather when the attack happened in Upper Mount Street, Thornton Lodge.

The dog came bounding up the street and tried to get into baby Asudlla Munier's pram, before Waheed stepped in front to stop it attacking her one-year-old son.

Nareed Akhtar said: "The dog came out of nowhere. It was running up the street towards us and we screamed.

"Waheed got in front of it to protect her baby and the dog went for her legs and then her face. It bit her cheek.

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"I was crying, I thought my sister was going to die. The dog was thrashing her around."

Bricklayer Lee Rowan, of Huddersfield, was working nearby and leapt to her aid. He began beating the dog over the head with a shovel but the dog would not release its grip.

He said: "I heard people shouting and looked up and saw this dog pulling a woman to the ground.

"A few of us starting hitting it to try and get it off, but as soon as it let go of her face, it grabbed her head.

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"Eventually we got it off, but the poor woman was in a bad way, there was blood everywhere and her cheek had been ripped off."

Nareed praised Mr Rowan for his quick-thinking actions.

Full-time mother Waheed, 26, is recovering in Bradford General Infirmary, where she is expected to stay for three weeks to undergo surgery to her cheek and leg.

Police said two men had been arrested under the Dangerous Dogs Act and were being interviewed .

Residents said they feared the dog, thought to be an American bull terrier, could attack a child as the road is near a school.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Officers and the police helicopter were deployed to attend to the woman and search for the dog and a man who was believed to be with the dog."