A WOMAN was left with her finger “hanging off” after she was attacked by a dog in a bank in the town centre on Saturday.

The incident occurred at around 10.30am in the RBS branch on Deansgate after a Staffordshire Bull Terrier attacked a Jack Russell inside the bank.

The Jack Russell’s owner, a woman in her 30s, then intervened to save her pet but was savaged by the terrier, resulting in her finger being severed.

The woman was eventually freed and the terrier's owner allegedly then tried to flee with his dog before being apprehended by police.

Bolton councillor Sean Hornby, who witnessed the incident, said: “I went for change like I normally do on a Saturday morning and we could hear a dog howling and barking and then a customer shouting, so I went to have a look.

“I saw a Staffordshire Bull Terrier had attacked a Jack Russell. This dog had got the throat of the small dog and the woman whose dog it was was trying to get it off.

“Then it bit the woman and bit her finger so that it was hanging off. The dog was hanging there, it wouldn’t let go.

“There was blood and dog poo all over the bank.”

He added: “An RBS staff member was shouting to people to stay away from the dog because it’s dangerous.”

After spraying an aerosol at the terrier it released its hold of the woman and was taken away by its owner, before being placed in a side room of the bank.

However, the dog was let out and the owner left the bank heading in the direction of the Market Place before being detained by police.

Cllr Hornby said: “The dog was put in a side room but the guy let it out and then decided he was going.

“We decided to restrain him but he wasn’t having it. We rang 999 and followed the man until he was apprehended on St Georges Road.

“The dog was put into the back of a van and the man was taken away.”

He added: “Initially when the man went out of the side door of RBS he was heading for the Market Place which would have been full of shoppers and possibly children.”

Following the incident, the bank was temporarily shut and the injured woman was given treatment at the scene by paramedics, before being taken away in an ambulance.

Describing the attack, Cllr Hornby said: “I have never seen anything like that with a dog before. The dog was locked in there and it wasn’t for letting go.

“There were children in the bank that were quite terrified, and that will have a lasting effect on their lives witnessing what they witnessed.

“It was quite a dramatic thing to witness. It was quite shocking too see. Not what you expect to see on a Saturday morning.”

Police have now launched an investigation into the incident and the events which led to the woman being bitten.

Inspector Dale Sexton from Greater Manchester Police said: “The call came in at 10.36am. A dog, not described at this time, had attacked a female in her 30s.

“The owner of the dog then took the dog away, walking off into the town centre.

“The exact injuries of the female are unknown.

“An area search was conducted by police and the dog and the owner were detained.

“Enquiries are ongoing as to the circumstances leading up to the dog bite.”

An RBS Spokesman said: "The owner of the large dog has been detained by police and we will be working with the police to get to the bottom of the situation.

"The branch is temporarily closed due to the incident and a lot of mess, but it will be reopened on Monday."