A dog owner said she watched in horror as her springer spaniel was killed by a Japanese Akita dog.

Amanda Bussey, 35, of Stanley Road, Ashingdon, was walking along a public footpath between Greensward Lane, Hockley, and The Chase, Ashingdon, with her two-year-old daughter Hannah when the dog came hurtling at them.

The Akita, larger than an Alsatian in size, attacked her "timid" three-year-old spaniel called Bella.

She later had to be put down by a vet because her injuries were so bad.

Mrs Bussey said: "My daughter likes to walk and so was out of her buggy walking and holding my hand. The dog came out of nowhere. It could have been my child it went for.

"It was growling and barking. I grabbed her in my arms and jumped over a fence to get away from it.

"Fortunately my other dog, a retriever, jumped over the fence with us. I can't sleep knowing that Akita is still running around. Someone else is going to get injured."

The 15-minute ordeal ended when a man, who Mrs Bussey claims at first said he was the owner of the Akita, appeared and pulled the dog off.

Mrs Bussey called the police. She claims she has now been told that the owner of the dog has changed and so they cannot pursue the case further.

She said:"Lots of children use that footpath."

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