A DOG attack victim who was subjected to a brutal onslaught two years ago has told of his frustration over a setback to him getting a prosthetic arm.

Chris Hirst made the brutal decision to have his arm amputated at the end of last year after repeated attempts to save it failed. He had hoped to have the replacement limb in time for the second anniversary of the attack, but its fitting has been put on hold after he suffered a shoulder ligament injury.

He is now waiting to see a specialist about the new injury.

Mr Hirst, of Tyersal Garth, Tyersal, Bradford, had to have his right arm amputated, despite undergoing nine operations to try and save it, after he was savaged by a dog two years ago.

The 64-year-old pharmacy worker was shaken like a rag doll by a loose American bulldog as he delivered a prescription to a house in Bierley, Bradford.

The vicious attack only ended when passer by Danny Gomersall repeatedly hit the dog with a spade and dragged Mr Hirst away.

His arm was amputated last November and he has been measured for a replacement prosthetic limb. A plaster cast was then sent away for the limb to be made and it was hoped it could be fitted by the end of March.

But Mr Hirst has revealed it had been delayed after he tore a ligament in his left shoulder.

He said: "I have had cortisone injections in the shoulder, but they haven't solved the problem. I went to see my orthopaedic surgeon two weeks ago and his sending me to another specialist. I am now waiting for an appointment."

Mr Hirst explained that the fitting of his new arm could not go ahead until his shoulder was sorted out.

"If I got the arm it wouldn't be able to function if I couldn't use my left shoulder, because you have to use the opposite shoulder. At the moment it is painful when I move it about. There's not much point having the arm if it can't function. Everything's having to wait until I can get the shoulder sorted."

He said he was hoping the shoulder injury would be resolved in weeks rather than months.

Mr Hirst added: "It's frustrating for me to have to wait before the arm can be fitted, but I want to make certain that everything is right. There is no point in me getting the arm if I am not going to be able to function with it properly."

Mr Hirst recently welcomed new dangerous dog laws which is being extended to cover attacks on private property, as in his case. The maximum jail sentence in cases where someone is injured by a dangerous dog has risen from two years to five years.