A DOG owner has been ordered to pay £100 compensation after his Alsatian bit a five-year-old boy in the face.

The boy was playing near Shaun Daniel Cummins’ Bishop Auckland home on August 3 last year when the dog bit him on the nose, magistrates in Newton Aycliffe heard.

Cummins was in his home on Lowther Road at the time and had no idea a young relative had taken Alsatian called Jack outside, the court heard.

Prosecutor Lorraine Cooper said the child suffered two puncture wounds to his nose and two to his top lip.

Ms Cooper said the boy’s mother feared he would be scared for life and would now be afraid of all dogs, apart from their own pet.

The prosecutor said the mother also wanted Jack to be destroyed, which magistrates should order unless they had good reason to believe he would not attack again.

Mike Clarke in mitigation showed the bench a video of Jack being taken for a walk by a dog expert, with the expert saying he did not think the Alsatian posed any threat.

Mr Clarke said Jack had played well with children before without any incident.

He also said Cummins, 21, who admitted being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control in public, had not known the dog had been taken out of the house.

Mr Clarke said: “Mr Cummins is someone who is a fit and proper person to have a dog, not withstanding this incident.”

Magistrates made a contingency destruction order saying Jack should not be allowed out of the house apart from with a responsible adult and should be confined to a place from which he cannot escape.

Cummins was also given a nine month community order with supervision and ordered to pay £100 compensation, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.