A brother and sister are undergoing surgery after being attacked by a dog.

The children were taken to hospital with serious injuries on Tuesday night after being savaged by the Doberman dog in Ascot, Berkshire.

The two youngsters were attacked as they returned from a walk with their mother and the family dog at about 1815 BST.

As the family walked past a neighbour's garden the dog sprang out attacking the family's terrier before turning on the girl, aged 10, and the eight-year-old boy.

Horn beeped

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "The girl was bitten on her elbow after she picked her dog up to try to stop it being hurt."

A passer-by then tried to fend off the dog with an umbrella before it attacked the boy.

The 40-year-old passer-by then managed to scare the dog away again.

She said: "I beeped my horn to try to scare it off, but it didn't work.

"Then I pulled an umbrella from the car and started hitting the dog with it.

Thoughts and prayers

"I got the family into the car and drove to my friends house."

Throughout the incident the woman's two young children were sitting in the back of her car.

She added: "I didn't have time to be scared of the dog at the time.

"These people needed help and their need was greater than mine.

"My thoughts and prayers are very much with the children and their parents at this time."

'Deep shock'

The children were first taken to St Peter's hospital in Chertsey and then later to Chelsea and Westminster hospital in Fulham, west London.

Both were undergoing micro and plastic surgery on Wednesday afternoon and were in a stable condition.

Their parents, who were at their bedsides, were said to be in "deep shock".

The Scottie has two wounds to the abdomen and was being treated by a vet, said the police spokesman.

The Doberman was put down at the request of its owner, who is a neighbour of the family living in Broomfield Park.