LEAD THE WAY: MSPs hear evidence on Clyde News campaign

A Clyde News campaign is on the brink of seeing Scotland’s dog control laws strengthened.

A Holyrood committee is hearing from the families of children who have been mauled by dogs.

The Public Audit and Post-Legislative Review Committee is looking at tightening legislation following ’Lead the Way’. Our reporter Natalie Crawford was invited, along with parents and other experts, to speak about her findings.

We found through Freedom of Information requests that in the last year, Scotland's largest NHS board, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, that 1417 people presented at A&E departments with dog-related injures, 255 of them children.

NHS Lanarkshire treated 912 people and NHS Ayrshire 439 patients, both of which were four-year highs.

We also discovered that Glasgow City Council - Scotland's largest local authority - until recently had just one part-time dog warden and that there had been no dog control notices issued in a three-year period.

Veronica Lynch, whose daughter Kellie was killed by two dogs in the 1980’s told MSPS: "The owner of the dogs stupidly allowed my daughter and his daughter to take out his two massive Rottweilers. They must have been a combined weight of about 19 stones. Kellie didn't stand a chance.

“The injuries she suffered were so severe that we were not allowed to touch her.

"We realised later that she had been decapitated."

Claire Booth, whose son Ryan has his ear bitten off in an attack near their home in Bishopton when he was six years old told MSPs how they were collecting chestnuts when a white English bull terrier knocked him to the ground and attacked him.

Claire said: "It was carnage…

"They covered his whole body and when I got to him his ear was hanging off.

"The owner was shouting 'don't worry, the dogs won't touch you' as I screamed for help.

"I was very frustrated with the police."

"The whole process was a bit farcical to be honest."

The owner was prosecuted and got the maximum community service and one dog was destroyed, but the other was given a control order which was never followed up.

Claire supports a law which would see dogs kept on leads in public places.

Lisa Grady's daughter was also mauled by two Rottweilers while riding her bike outside the family home.

The 10-year-old was left with bite marks all over her body, suffered a broken jaw and was left with "her ear hanging off'' following the attack.

Ms Grady echoed calls for all dogs to be on leads and suggested introducing ownership controls after it was revealed that owner of the dogs who attacked her daughter has another Rottweiler "within weeks''

• leadtheway