A BECKENHAM couple’s Jack Russell suffered life-threatening injuries when attacked by a dog in a St Paul's Cray park.

Bo, aged 10, was being walked by his owner, Ernie Green, in Hoblingwell Wood Recreation Ground on April 6, when a black 'Staffie-like' dog approached them.

The dog, which wore a collar but was not on a lead, lunged at Bo, grabbing him in its jaws.

Mr Green, 79, of Leesons Hill, St Paul's Cray, said he immediately panicked.

He told News Shopper: "I just went into panic mode.

"I wasn't paying attention to anything. I was just concerned about my dog.

"I got Bo out of its mouth and went home. Everything went by in such a blur."

Sue Green, Mr Green's wife, said her husband is still very shaken by the incident, and is reluctant to talk about it.

The 65-year-old said: "Bo is his life. He walks him three times a day.

"I think he assumed this dog was just going to smell Bo, like dogs do, but he attacked him.

"He had to prize the dog's mouth open to get Bo free."

Mr and Mrs Green took their dog to a nearby vet, where he was urgently operated on.

And Mrs Green feared Bo would not see it through the operation.

She said: "I was worried he was going to die and he still might because of infection.

"He was covered in blood. I thought because he had lost so much blood he was going to die at any second."

The muscle in his shoulder area was badly torn, while he had eight other puncture wounds and severe bruising all over his body.

Darren Russell, 42, of Friends of Hoblingwell Park, claims that the attack is one of four to have taken place in the park this year.

He said: "These attacks are getting much more frequent and this is something that needs to be addressed.

"In February a woman’s dog was fatally wounded.

"With the summer coming up there is a concern that one of these days it could be a child."

The local safer neighbourhood team are investigating the incident and paying particular attention to the area.