Sister tells of dog attack on Erfan Ali, of Cardiff

The sister of a six-year-old boy who was attacked by a neighbour's dog has told how the animal "just went mad" in their garden.

Erfan Ali was with his mother at their home in Gabalfa, Cardiff, when the dog leapt over the fence and bit him.

The boy was bitten on the face and hands in the attack on Friday, which went on for 15 minutes.

Erfan's sister, Masudah Ali, witnessed the dog attacking her younger brother and phoned for an ambulance.

"My mum was doing the washing, getting the clothes, and my brother was helping," she said.

"The dog came here, knocking everything down... and started circling and chasing everything.

"My mum and my little brother ran inside and tried to go in but the dog went in as well, grabbed his hand and started biting and chased him around."

Rhodesian ridgeback

Erfan suffered injuries to both cheeks, his right arm and a hand, and underwent a four-hour operation.

The dog, thought to be a Rhodesian ridgeback, was destroyed on Friday. Police have launched an investigation.

His father Dilwar Ali, a businessman, called for a change in dog licensing laws.

The boy's sister, Masudah Ali, saw the dog chase him into the house from their garden

He told BBC Wales his son would be permanently scarred, and faced further operations.

"I'm really horrified," he said.

The boy was initially taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, but was transferred to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Mr Ali, who works for the family business Nahin Spice Centre in Caerphilly Road, said: "My son went into the garden to help his mother to collect the washing when the dog from next door jumped the fence and grabbed my son's hand.

"The dog was very aggressive. My son managed to get back to the house, but the dog would not let go and carried on attacking him."