A YOUNG girl faces being scarred for life after suffering horrific facial injuries in an attack by a bull mastiff dog at her aunt's home.

Kate Baron, four, underwent surgery last night after the normally "friendly" puppy bit her left cheek.

The injured girl and her young sister Rachel were at their aunt Shirley Walsh's home in Windsor Road, Great Harwood, when the incident happened yesterday afternoon.

Kate's father, Robert said the children began to play with his sister's two bull mastiff puppies while she went to talk to somebody at her front gate.

He added that one of the youngsters is believed to have pulled a bone away from the dogs and Kate was accidentally bitten by one of the animals.

Altham paramedics took Kate, a member of St Bartholomews playgroup in Great Harwood, to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where her mother Michelle went to be at her bedside. The youngster, of Ribble Avenue, Great Harwood, underwent surgery to stitch her face last night.

Robert said: "Everything is a bit sketchy at the moment but one of my daughters took the bone from the dogs and Kate was bitten accidentally by one of them. The dog took a chunk out of her and she has had surgery to stitch her face."

He added: "My sister was only talking at her gate for a few minutes when the accident happened. They are usually very friendly dogs."

The couple have two other children, Mark and Paul.

Michelle said from the hospital, where Kate has been detained on a children's ward: "Kate has had stitches in her face. She is OK but her face is very sore."

Inspector Les Martin from Clitheroe Police said: "Police officers were called out after a young girl was bitten by a dog. She received a facial injury and will probably be scarred for life but the injury was not life-threatening. We are still investigating the incident."

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