A DANGEROUS dog will be destroyed despite its owner lodging a last attempt to save its life.

Andrew del Piero, 68, appealed against the court’s decision to put down Tammy, an American bull dog cross Staffordshire bull terrier, after it attacked pensioner Sandra Danskin in Blackburn.

Del Piero, of Selbourne Street, had also been ordered to pay the victim £500 in compensation for the attack, which happened as she was weeding an area in Hozier Street that children often play in.

Tammy grabbed Mrs Danskin’s gloved hand and ripped the end off, before flying at her again.

She turned her back to protect her face and the dog bit through her trousers and into her thigh, ripping the skin.

Del Piero, who was convicted of being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control, launched an appeal against the magistrates court’s order to have the dog put down, but it was dismissed by Judge Heather Lloyd, sitting at Preston Crown Court.

Labour councillor for Wensley Fold, Mohammed Khan, said: “People need to keep their dog on a lead and to make sure they don’t hurt anybody.

“The judge has made the right decision.

“There must be a problem if dogs are biting other people in the street. Dogs need to be trained properly, and the owner needs to be responsible because things like this are not acceptable. There is something wrong and we need to have some sort of control.”