A NEWBORN baby boy was passed to safety just seconds before his grandmother was savagely attacked by a dog.

Ms Yvonne Williams was cradling the four-week-old tot in her arms as she left her house in Agecroft Road West on Tuesday (May 21) lunchtime.

The 39-year-old went to speak to her gardener, who was in his car outside the house, to tell him she did not want any work doing this week.

Before she bent down to speak to the man, who was sitting in the driver's seat with his dog in the front passenger seat, she handed over the precious bundle to her 18-year-old daughter, Suzanne.

Seconds later the gardener's three-year-old pet German Shepherd lunged forward from the seat, across its owner, and bit Yvonne on the face.

The mother-of-four was rushed to Hope Hospital with serious facial injuries and later transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital where she underwent delicate micro-surgery.

The dog, named Bruno, was destroyed at the scene.

Speaking from her bed where she is recovering from her ordeal, Yvonne fought back tears and said: "I could have been holding my baby grandson. I had only just given him back to his mum."

Recalling the incident she added: "I was going out with my sister, daughter and the baby. As we left the house I saw the gardener.

"Because we were on our way out I went to ask him if he could come next week instead. As I was speaking to him he said something and I bent down to listen. The dog just came straight out and bit me. It all happened so fast."

Yvonne's memory of events after that were blurred but she remembers screaming and putting her hands up to her face.

The gardener, who Yvonne does not blame for the incident, was equally shocked and dragged the dog back into the car.

"There was a lot of blood and I would not take my hands away from my face," said Yvonne, "I just kept screaming and screaming, and saying "Oh, my God". My sister and daughter were panicking."

Yvonne received around 20 stitches under local anthesthetic to a bite mark on her left cheek bone and a deep gouge to her lip and inside her mouth.

Fearing she may be scarred for life Yvonne said: "I feel awful and very upset. My youngest daughter, who is six next week, hasn't been near me yet. I think she is in shock."

Yvonne said she returns to hospital next Wednesday but will not know if there is any lasting damage until six months time. She added: "It all happened so quick and I keep seeing it in my head. The dog was like a wolf."