A Japanese Akita dog which attacked a woman will not be put down after its owner proved he is no longer a danger to the public.

Margaret Scott was knocked to the ground and suffered cuts and bites to her arm after Rusty pounced as she walked along a footpath near The Galleries shopping complex in Washington, Wearside, in March last year.

Newcastle Crown Court was told the dog's owner Keith Purvis, 27, pulled his dog, who was not on a lead. He was arrested for having an out-of-control dog in a public place.

Rusty could have been destroyed under the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act, but a judge at a previous hearing gave Purvis a chance to save his pet's life by enrolling him on a training course.

And yesterday Purvis's barrister, Brian Russell, said: "It is 18 months since Rusty behaved in this manner and there has been no problem since."

The court made a contingent destruction order that the dog will not be put down as long as it is kept under control.

Purvis, of Warkworth Close, Oxclose, Washington, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay Ms Scott £500 compensation.