'I thought he was dead' - mum of boy mauled by dog

Roman and his mum Joanne were going for a walk in the park when the attack happened

Warning: This article contains some distressing images

The mother of a five-year-old boy who was mauled by a dog in his local park said if the bite had been any lower on his face it would have "killed him on the spot".

Roman was walking with his mum in a park near their home in Doncaster on Thursday when the off-lead dog, believed to be a bull breed, growled at him and attacked, injuring his eye, ears and cheeks.

He was taken to hospital where he needed surgery on his ear and his mum Joanne, 28, told the BBC her son's scars could be permanent.

South Yorkshire Police said a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control and had been released on bail.

Roman, five, had to undergo surgery on his ear

The dog remains in police kennels, the force added.

Joanne said when she and Roman saw the dog, its "stance changed" and it ran straight for the boy.

"Roman didn't stand a chance. This big beefy thing just came and took him to the floor.

"I was thinking 'it's going to kill him', it got him by the face and wouldn't let him go and Roman was shouting 'I'm going to die'."

The dog's owner tried to grab it by the collar and he and Joanne managed to pull it off Roman.

Passers-by rushed to help before the emergency services, including armed police, arrived.

"If the dog had gone a little bit further, he would have lost his eye," Joanne said.

Roman was terrified he was going to die, said his mother

"It wasn't a small dog, it was about four times the size of Roman. It was pure muscle," she added.

She said Roman was "processing the attack inside" and told her he "cannot believe a dog bit me".

He has been off school since the incident but his mum said he was keen to go back.

However, she said the extent of Roman's injuries meant she was keeping him at home for a while longer.

Joanne called on owners to be more responsible by keeping all dogs on leads in open spaces.

Joanne says Roman has been very brave and has returned to the park to play

"It doesn't matter how soft you think your animal is," she said.

"It doesn't matter how playful and how friendly they are, keep your dog on a lead, especially in a place like this where there are kids."

Joanne said she was "in awe" of her son following the attack, especially as he had been back to the park to play.

"Proud isn't even the word. If that was me, a grown-up, that had just been attacked by a dog - you wouldn't catch me coming back."

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