THREE dogs which left a woman permanently scarred and fearful for her life have been handed death sentences after a court ruled they had been dangerously out of control.

Narinder Kaur Batth needed 300 stitches and spent 11 days in hospital after last November's attack and this week told Teesside Crown Court: "The thought of them killing me crossed my mind."

But after a judge ordered the dogs to be put down, unless their owner, 30-year-old Lisa Cowley, lodged a successful appeal within 28 days, Mrs Batth told The Northern Echo how the vicious attack had altered her life forever.

The boxer, Staffordshire bull terrier and Jack Russell had been picked out of a canine identity parade following the attack.

Slightly-built Mrs Batth, who has been unable to return to her family newsagent's business, said: "I am just glad that they cannot harm anyone else."

On the day of the mauling, the mother-of-three was walking from her Seaham home to her shop in Murton, County Durham.

"I am still not very well and my life will never be the same again, but I'm glad it's all over," she said.

Mrs Batth, who required extensive plastic surgery at Shotley Bridge Hospital, said she was thankful that her grandson, who often walked to the shop with her, had not been there.

"If he had been with me on the day, I don't think he would have survived," she said.

The trial heard how several people, including blacksmith Ralph Shirley, had made valiant efforts to stop the attack.

Recorder Graham Hyland ordered that Mr Shirley, who was passing in his car and stopped to fight off the dogs with a crook lock, be given a £250 reward for his actions from public funds.

Mrs Batth praised the efforts of those who helped, particularly Mr Shirley, who "saved her life".

Unemployed Cowley of Foster Avenue, Murton, had denied three counts of allowing her dogs to run dangerously out of control in a public place.

She told the trial only two of the dogs had escaped that day, and one had never left the house.

Mr Hyland said Cowley would receive no other punishment because he did not feel the dogs had escaped because of any negligence on her part, but by human error.

He said the dogs did not have any history of violence, but added: "Your three dogs, dangerously out of control, attacked their victim in a vicious and sustained manner."