TWO dogs bit people and attacked dogs after running away from their owner.

Mary Girling’s two deerhounds Quill and Sabine ran off from private land after becoming tangled in an electric fence.

The fence, which was not live at the time, failed to prevent the dogs running onto Beach Front Close, Brightlingsea, on March 23.

Quill injured one woman and caused another pet owner to panic when it bit chunks of fur out of her dog, while Sabine bit a man on the elbow and knee and attacked his two dogs also causing them to bleed.

The first victim, Sharon Shaw, suffered a three centimetre cut to her arm and a five centimetre cut to her leg.

Simon Newell, prosecuting, told Colchester Magistrates’ Court: “The dogs got tangled and she lost control of two of them.

“The victims have gone to try to separate the dogs and have been injured for their efforts.”

A dog warden was called and managed to control both dogs before putting leads on them.

Girling, of Church Road, Brightlingsea, admitted not having control of the dogs.

The court heard Girling, 68, was “extremely remorseful” and the dogs usually had a quiet demeanour with Quill and Sabine never showing bad traits before or having problems with crowds.

They had become spooked by the fence and finding themselves in an unfamiliar situation.

District judge Andrew Woollard adjourned the case until July 31 to allow evidence about the dogs’ nature to be collected so he could make a decision about whether the dogs should be destroyed.