Adam Boyd, with his pet Tess, suffered wounds to his leg

Officers were called to reports of a dangerous animal on the loose in West Denton, Newcastle, on Tuesday.

Adam Boyd, 10, had already been bitten on the thigh by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dog, which later attacked six-year-old Robbie Fulthorpe.

Police said a young girl suffered minor injuries in a third incident. The attacks follow the death of a girl from Merseyside, who was mauled by a pet.

Northumbria Police officers noticed the black and white dog biting the six-year-old boy's buttock near shops at Burnside.

The dog bit me on the leg. If he had got any higher he could have pulled me over and then gone for my face Adam

The officers, who were responding to reports that the dog had attacked Adam, then cornered the animal and a police dog handler took it to the Northumbria Police kennels.

The force later confirmed a young girl had also suffered "minor scratches" in a third incident.

Adam is a pupil at West Denton Primary School and has a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tess - the same breed of dog which attacked him.

He said: "I was out with my friends when the dog came from nowhere.

"The dog bit me on the leg. If he had got any higher he could have pulled me over and then gone for my face."

Robbie Fulthorpe was waiting for his friend outside a shop when he was bitten on the legs.

'Lovely breed'

He said: "I was out with my friend at the shops and I was waiting outside for him to come out.

"The dog then appeared and grabbed hold of my trousers and I fell down on the floor. It hurts a lot now, but I didn't feel anything at the time."

Adam Boyd's father Phillip, 43, said: "He's been very lucky. Dogs like that shouldn't be allowed out without a collar or a harness.

"I've bred Staffies for years and they're a lovely breed.

"They're not vicious at all. You can't blame that dog - it's the owners."

Police initially thought the dog was a stray, but have now said they were called by its owner late on Tuesday.