A NEWLYWED couple have issued a warning about dangerous dogs after their beloved pet was viciously attacked.

Sunny, a three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross Jack Russell, suffered nasty wounds and required emergency care after being attacked by another dog at Starmount Lodges, in Bradley Fold.

The terrifying incident took place as Natalie and Gareth Allen were getting married at Bury Registry Office, having left their dog in the care of neighbour Martin Riley.

Last year, Radcliffe was rocked by a spate of dog attacks that left three children and a mum-of-two with severe wounds.

Mrs Allen, aged 29, of Trencherbone, said: "Martin took her for a walk around and this other dog came from nowhere and started attacking her.

"She has five puncture wounds across her side and had to be taken to the emergency vet. She is also on antibiotics and painkillers, but she is getting back to her normal self now.

"We didn't find out about what had happened until late on Saturday, because nobody wanted to tell us in case it ruined our day.

"We have to warn people about these incidents. I'm not sure we will ever find out whose dog it was, but I want to do what I can to help stop other dogs from suffering too."

Mr Riley has described the dog as golden-coloured, and said it was with a man in his late 30s and a woman in her 50s, who also had a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

He added: "I was sat at a picnic bench and all of a sudden this dog came out of nowhere and almost took my arm off.

"Then it bit Sunny and started dragging her around. The owners were there, but when I got Sunny away they had scarpered."

Following an attack on her son, Luke, on the King George V field last August, Louise Chadwick campaigned for greater protection in the community.

She said: "I'm still really, really angry, but there is not much that I can do.

"We have two dogs of our own now and I didn't want Luke to be scared of them. He is fine around them, but it's different when he is out on the street.

"We wanted CCTV installed to catch whoever was responsible, but we weren't able to get anywhere with the police and council. They just didn't have the money to give us what we needed."