My dog saved me from knifeman, victim says

Billy the Staffordshire bull terrier scared off the man

A woman who was threatened by a man wearing a balaclava and wielding a knife says her dog Billy saved her life.

Stacey Jenvey was walking her Staffordshire bull terrier in Redhill Common, Bournemouth, on 28 May when the man jumped out of a bush and demanded she hand over her pet.

When she refused, he threatened her with a knife.

She said within seconds Billy "went mental". Dorset Police has asked anyone with information to come forward.

Ms Jenvey described Billy's usual nature as "lovely"

Ms Jenvey said Billy had been "acting really weird" beforehand as if he sensed danger.

"...he was just jumping up at me, trying to warn me that something wasn't right."

Moments later, they were confronted by the masked knifeman who was wearing a grey tracksuit.

Ms Jenvey described how Billy barked at him and was pulling on his lead towards him.

"He saved my life," she said.

She ran to her local shop where the owner, Johanson Vijayakumar, calmed her down and phoned the police.

"She was really scared, she was crying," he said.

Johanson Vijayakumar said calling the police was the most important thing to do

Staffordshire bull terriers can have a reputation for being vicious and aggressive if not trained properly, but Ms Jenvey described Billy's usual nature as "lovely".

"He loves giving people face baths and he's just a big softie really. He's my boy and I wouldn't let anyone hurt him," she said.

Ms Jenvey said she has been unable to return to the park since.

"It's traumatic. I don't feel safe going out on my own. I've been walking through this forest for two years and I've never had a knife pulled on me.

"Now it's the latest thing you hear about [in Bournemouth]," she added.

She wants "something... done because there's too much of it going on" in the town.

Responding to the incident, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick told the BBC: "While Bournemouth is a safe place to live and work, I recognise incidents such as this leave people feeling unsettled, and I want to assure the public that we are tackling this as a key priority."