A dog owner has described how her pet had to run for its life after being grabbed by the throat by a Staffie on Bacton beach.

Lyn Gutteridge, a 56-year-old mother of two, said her dog, Louis, a Jack Russell, suffered a deep tear on his throat and needed treatment at Broadland House vets in Stalham.

Police have confirmed that the owner of the Staffie has been issued with a notice requiring the dog to be on a lead with a muzzle when out in public.

Mrs Gutteridge and her partner Andy Wootton, from Leicester, have had a caravan at Mundesley for about 15 years and spend most weekends on the north Norfolk coast. The incident happened at about 2.15pm on Saturday, April 1.

She said: 'We went to the beach by the disused NCP car park. We let our other two dogs off the lead, who are very friendly with other dogs.

'My little boy, Louis, bounded down the beach when a Staffie appeared from behind one of the groynes. My boy bounded towards it. There was nothing to indicate it was going to attack.

'My boy ran for his life. The Staffie got him by his legs but he managed to escape and ran to the steps, but it cut him off and got him by the throat.'

She said the owner then put the lead on his dog, but it still would not let go.

'My partner got to Louis but fell and both dogs ended up on top of him,' she added.

'I ran over and pulled the Staffie's jaws off of my dog. It let go. We sought help for Louis.'

A Norfolk police spokesman confirmed the incident was reported to them, but they could not take any legal action as the dog did not attack a human.

A spokesman said: 'The dog owner was issued with a notice requiring it to be on a lead with a muzzle when out in public.'

Mrs Gutteridge said the dog owner claimed his pet, a rescue dog, had been muzzled before the attack but that he had removed it, as it had got congested with sand.

She added: 'My little boy did not deserve to go through this. It was traumatic for us all.

'I want people to know what happened so that they do not have to go through the same - next time it could be a child.

'Luckily my boy's collar was substantial and prevented any serious damage but he has puncture wounds on his legs and throat and a deep tear to his throat. Can't bear to think what would have happened without that collar.'