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A woman was left traumatised when her neighbour’s pit bull dog ripped a chunk of flesh out of her leg and dropped it on the floor.

The incident happened as Janice Eccles was moving her car from a drive she shares with her neighbours Alan and Linda Gent.

The injuries were so serious that she has since been forced to have skin grafts.

Boston magistrates heard that as she made her way back to her house a large, angry ‘staffy type dog’ ran out of the Gent house before latching onto her right calf.

The dog, called Zeus, shook its head in aggression while continuing to sink its teeth into her leg, biting a large chunk out and putting it on the ground.

Magistrates were told Mr Gent managed to calm the dog down as Ms Eccles hobbled inside, where she wrapped a towel around the wound.

Now the two owners have been banned from owning dogs for five years - and the fate of the dog hangs in the balance.

Mr and Mrs Gent, both 59, of St Vincent Close in Skegness, were charged with being the owners of a dangerous dog and pleaded guilty to the offence at Boston Magistrates’ Court.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, told the court: “The victim was in hospital for five days before being transferred to Leicester where she has had to have skin grafts due to the thickness of the wound.

“Mr Gent intervened and accepted the victim’s account of what happened.”

Ms Stace read out the Ms Eccles' victim statement, which said: “The amount of trauma outweighs the injury. I moved to Skegness due to poor health to be near family. My life has come to a halt due to hospital visits and further surgery. It has devastated me.

“I am thankful it was not a child or an elderly person as I feel the dog was capable of killing someone.”

The dog has been in police kennels since the incident on July 20.

In mitigation, Helen Coney, the couple’s solicitor, said they had had the dog for four years, since it was a puppy - although the court was told they did not have any papers.

She said: “An internal door was opened in the house while the couple were awaiting a delivery and the dog escaped."

The dog has never been aggressive before. Mr Gent managed to get the dog under control. Neither Mr nor Mrs Gent, who are both retired, could have foreseen this happening.

The dog has since been seen by an expert who confirmed the dog did not show any form of aggression while various tests were carried out.

Miss Coney added: “The expert has said the dog would be compliant with a training order and the couple would like him rehomed. They said they do not want him to be put to sleep.”

An order was made that any future owner of Zeus would have to keep him muzzled and on a lead while he is out in public.

Zeus remains in police care and his future remains in the hands of the police who will make a decision on whether he is rehomed.

The couple were ordered to pay £160 fine each, a victim surcharge of £30 each and a contribution of £45 each towards costs.

The couple were also banned from owning any dogs for five years.