A POSTMAN has been warned to keep his dog under control or it will be destroyed after it badly bit a pensioner and his pet.

Alfie, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, snapped his lead as owner Mark Sixsmith was taking him for a walk.

The seven-year-old dog ran into Blackrod Cemetery and launched itself at pensioner, Christopher Hall’s Tibetan Terrier, Josh.

Bolton magistrates heard how Mr Hall, who was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer at the time, had his hand bitten as he tried to save his pet.

The court heard that 50-year-old Sixsmith knew Alfie could be aggressive towards other dogs, although not people, and accepts he should have had better control of the animal.

Sixsmith, of Hillside Avenue, Blackrod, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control and caused injury.

Sazeeda Ismail, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Hall was walking his pet at 6.30pm om June 22 last year in the grounds of the cemetery when a white dog immediately leapt on Josh.

“He was biting Josh and was shaking his body. Josh was still on the lead and had no chance to escape the dog’s grasp,” said Miss Ismail.

Sixsmith arrived 30 seconds later and tried to get his dog off Josh by pulling his collar but Alfie then turned his attention to Mr Hall, biting his right hand.

“Immediately it was excruciating and in those frantic few seconds let go of the lead while the Staffie’s owner eventually took control of his dog,” Mr Hall told police.

Josh, in pain and distressed, ran off, chased through the main gates by Sixsmith’s other dog, a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Pippa, but Josh escaped.

Mr Hall suffered deep cuts to three of his fingers and damage to tendons and vet bills for Josh, who was covered by pet insurance, amounted to £1,240.

“The shock and horror of seeing such a sudden and unnecessary savage attack continues to cause me and my dog distress,” stated Mr Hall in a victim statement

In a verbal pre-sentence report, probation officer Clare McKenna told the court that Sixsmith walks his dogs daily for half an hour.

“He knew Alfie had a problem with other dogs. There was no problem with other people,” said Mrs McKenna.

“His way of dealing with that was that he was never allowed off the lead. He felt, at that time, he was fully in control of the dog.”

But the extendable lead he used snapped. Alfie is now fitted with a body harness, chain lead and muzzle when taken for a walk and Sixsmith has sought help from a dog trainer.

“It would appear that he has made changes and attempted to stop this situation happening again,” said Mrs McKenna.

Peter Leather, defending, stressed: “He has shown genuine remorse in relation to this matter. He regrets deeply what happened. He recognises that he did make mistakes. He had learnt from those mistakes.”

Sixsmith was sentenced to a community order for 12 months during which he will have to do 200 hours of unpaid work. In addition, he was ordered to pay Mr Hall £780 in compensation.

Manu Mistry, chairman of the bench, told Sixsmith: “This is a very sad case.

“You are a man of previous good character and you have shown remorse and shown you can be a responsible dog owner.”

However, the court also made a contingency destruction order requiring Alfie to be muzzled and walked on a lead only by someone aged over 16.

“Unless the dog is kept under control in this way it will be destroyed,” warned Mr Mistry.