A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl suffered horrific facial injuries when she was attacked by the family's new dog, her mother said yesterday.

Jade Wardle was in the kitchen and had put her arm around the labrador-cross called Hooch, when it suddenly lunged at her face without warning.

Mother Rochelle Wardle, 22, had to kick out at the three-year-old dog, to make it loosen its grip before rushing outside where friends and family telephoned for an ambulance.

The youngster needed plastic surgery and also had to have a tear duct replaced during surgery on Saturday.

Ms Wardle, of Pelton Fell, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, yesterday told how the dog had been ''tremendous'' with them in the three days they had owned it.

She said: ''I dread to think what would have happened if I had not been there. There was no growling or snarling, he just went for her face.

''He was such a lovely dog and this is such a shock."

The youngster spent the night in the University Hospital of North Durham.

Ms Wardle had bought the dog, answering a private advert in an ad-magazine and had visited the family of the dog before buying it at their home in Hetton, in Tyne and Wear.

The dog's original owners have now taken the dog back.

Ms Wardle added: ''As far as I know they are going to have it put down.

"They can't keep it themselves and the woman said she would not be able to live with herself if it went to another family and did the same thing.''