Gran has chunk bitten out of her arm after neighbour's Rottweiler randomly attacks her

A grandmother has been awarded £500 in damages after her neighbour's Rottweiler dog randomly mauled her outside her home, taking a chunk of skin off her arm and leaving her self-conscious of her appearance.

Anne Wilkes, a Marks and Spencer worker in her 50s, was left scarred for life after the dog named Romey attacked her as it was being taken for a walk by owner, 49-year-old Jacqueline Langley. The dog was being walked on a short leash down Cowper Street, Bootle, at 6.15pm on April 21 by Langley and her daughter when Mrs Wilkes walked past in the opposite direction, a hearing at Sefton magistrates court heard.

Edward Rattigan, prosecuting, told the court the dog suddenly leapt up at Mrs Wilkes, biting down on her forearm. The grandmother managed to break free and ran sobbing into her son's house with blood pouring from the wound. He said: “Ms Wilkes walked between the defendant and the daughter when suddenly the dog in question, a Rottweiler called Romey, lunged forward and bit her right forearm.

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"It caused her a great deal of pain. Ms Wilkes tried to pull away and to the defendant’s credit she tried to pull on the lead to try and stop the incident as it was happening. The dog let go of Ms Wilkes' arm and she then ran into her son’s house screaming in pain. There was a suggestion she may require skin grafts. It is quite a nasty injury.”

The dog was spared being put to sleep after an animal expert said it must have been "startled" when it launched the attack. Mr Rattigan said that there had been no previous incidents with the dog and that it was a “momentary lapse”. He added that the CPS