A magistrate spared the life of a dog which attacked a special PC because it has a phobia of fluorescent jackets.

Collie-cross Ben bit the officer's thigh when he saw his bright yellow jacket.

But a court, which was told the two-year-old had been scared of reflective jackets since he was run over by a council van, decided the pet should not be put down.

Police community support officer Kevin Middleton was left bleeding and bruised when he called to the street where Ben's owner lived to investigate a disturbance.

Wearing a fluorescent high-visibility jacket, he approached father-of-four Paul Daniels' back gate in Warren Street, Horden, County Durham. Ben panicked, leapt at the patrolman and grabbed his leg above the knee, leaving four bleeding wounds.

Mr Daniels, 34, admitted owning a dog which was out of control in a public place.

Magistrates gave the animal a second chance after they heard glowing references to his good nature with the family's four young children and learned how it cheated death when he was flattened by a bin van containing two council workmen, who were wearing yellow jackets.

Instead they gave Mr Daniels a six-month conditional discharge, ordered him to pay the officer £100 compensation, keep firm control over the dog and put a gate on the yard of the house.

Speaking after Ben's reprieve, Mr Daniels, a baker, said Ben was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Daniels said: "He's like a soldier back from the wars who's been shell-shocked.

"His body is better but he's not recovered mentally from being run over, poor dog."