A SCHOOLBOY suffered bites and scratches to his upper body when he was attacked by a ‘Staffie-type’ dog in Stroud.

The12-year-old, whose parents asked for him not to be named, was running back from a friend’s house on Tuesday, February 12, around 3.30pm when the incident happened in Brickrow.

His father said the dog jumped at his son and grabbed his right forearm between its jaws.

"He told us the dog ran out from one of the houses or from one of the lanes in between the houses and just went for him," he said.

"He has bite and scratch marks on his stomach, arms and his shoulders and his clothes were ripped with blood on.

"He was a bit shook up but he was very brave and he is doing ok now."

The boy, who was on his half-term holiday, was rescued by a man who pulled the creature away and tied it up to a nearby post before taking the boy to Stroud Hospital for treatment.

His father said his son has just finished a course of antibiotics and is back at school this week but doctors have told him he will have permanent scarring from one of the bites.

Police officers investigating the incident have appealed for information from members of the public who saw what happened.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Constabulary said: "When a dog injures another animal or human it constitutes as an offence against the owner for allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

"Police can impose dog control orders on owners which may include fitting the dog with a muzzle or keeping it on a lead at all times."

Anyone who can help police trace the dog’s owner should call 101 quoting incident 247 of February 12.