THREE people are due before court after a pack of dogs attacked a seven-year-old boy

Detectives investigating the attack on Sam Leverett on land off Tunnel Street, Burnley, said a man aged 19 and two women aged 16 and 38 have been reported to the court.

Sam, of Broughton Street, Burnley, was set upon by a pack of up to six animals as he walked to shops on Saturday, March 1.

Police said that because allowing a dog to be out of control in a public place was not an arrestable offence, summonses have been sent out to three people, who are all from the Burnley area.

A police spokesman said: "Police in Burnley have reported three people for summons in relation to a dog attack on an seven-year-old boy from from Burnley on Saturday, March 1.

"The three, one male aged 19 and two females aged 38 years and 16 years are from the Burnley area. They have been reported for summons for being the owner of a dog, or dogs, and allowing it, or them, to be out of control in a public place and causing injury to a person. No court date has been set yet."

The spokesman added that the dogs, which were being looked after by the RSPCA, will be handed over to Lancashire Constabulary where efforts to destroy them will be made.

According to the police, if the case is dealt with in a magistrates' court the maximum sentence the three face would be six months.

If the case is heard in a Crown Court, two-year jail terms could be imposed.

Sam was rescued by Robert Ashworth, of Tunnel Street, who spotted the youngster being mauled by the dogs and beat them off before diving on to the child to protect him from further attack.

Sam, who has undergone a number of operations at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, including plastic surgery to wounds, met up with Mr Ashworth to thank him when he arrived home on Saturday.