Two bully dogs escaped an address in Kirkham and later attacked a 12-year-old Jack Russell dog.

Members of the public intervened to get the two bullies off of the smaller dog, but not before one of the bully dogs had bitten the back of the Jack Russell’s neck.

Police arrived quickly and members of the public assisted with providing information that enabled the force to track down the address of the bullies and the injured dog.

The elderly Jack Russell was shaken but not seriously injured and should make a full recovery.

PCSO for Fylde, Fiona Hartley, said: "There was an incident this morning ( Monday, October 30) involving two bully dogs that had escaped from their home address in Kirkham. The dogs attacked a 12-year-old Jack Russell terrier. 

"The owner of the dog was shaken up by this incident that should never have happened and the owners of the bully dogs have been given an acceptable behaviour contract by police.

"Should the conditions of this contract be breached at any time in the future, police will be able to escalate how the dogs and owners are dealt with.

"Please make sure that your dogs can not escape from open doors or gardens, and are not allowed to be dangerously out of control."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to ban American XL bully dogs by the end of the year after a spike in dog attacks featuring the controversial breed.

Mr Sunak made the promise after it emerged a man had died after being attacked by two dogs – suspected to be XL bullies – in Staffordshire and following a video of another incident that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries in Birmingham.

Downing Street said measures will be put in place to cover the “existing population” of the dogs in response to concerns that they will still be allowed on the streets once a ban on new owners comes in.

Existing owners could face a requirement to neuter their dogs and muzzle them in public, the government’s chief vet has suggested.