A LOCAL authority has warned dog owners to keep their animals under control following a savage attack on a woman last week.

Environmental health officers at the District of Easington, in east Durham, have asked all owners to make sure they do not let their dogs out unattended.

The warning comes after three dogs set upon newsagent Narinder Kaur Batth as she walked to her Murton business.

The badly injured victim needed 300 stitches in her wounds and is still undergoing treatment at Shotley Bridge Hospital.

Easington council's dog wardens helped police track down the owner of three dogs answering the description of those which had been seen in the attack.

The animals are being held at kennels while police await the results of forensic tests.

Councillor Colin Reynolds, the council's cabinet member for health issues, said: "This was an appalling incident, and the council is very concerned that there are still many dog owners who let their dogs roam freely causing problems due to fouling of the streets and sometimes attacking people.''

"The council carries out routine patrols to pick up stray dogs but we want to encourage people to be responsible dog owners and keep their dogs under control to prevent incidents like this occurring."