A girl who was savaged by a dog is suffering from a stress disorder which usually affects soldiers returning from the battlefield.

Ten-year-old Jolene Lamont has suffered terrible nightmares ever since she was mauled by a German Shepherd-Japanese Akita cross breed at a friend's home three weeks ago.

She needed a two-hour operation and more than thirty stitches in her left arm which has left a huge scar.

Her mother Yvonne, 31, of Hodgson Avenue, Bradford, said: "She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming. All she sees is the dog's face in front of her.

"It's like she keeps on reliving the whole attack. I've tried comforting her and told her everything will be all right but she still can't sleep at night.

"She's been off school for most of this week and is just not herself at all. She's normally so happy and bubbly."

In desperation Mrs Lamont rang her local GP's surgery who referred her to the Off The Record counselling service in Bradford.

Its co-ordinator, Celia Dawson, said the organisation offered a counselling service for young people aged 13 to 25.

She said: "We have made a special case for this young lady because she's under 13 and it's also the first animal attack we have dealt with.

"She's suffering from trauma. A lot of soldiers coming back from war suffer the same symptoms - known as Post Traumatic Stress.

"It's often very hard to reach young girls suffering from stress like this. It's a bit like a tape which they can't stop playing round and round in their head."

Mrs Dawson said the group was a member of the British Association of Counselling and offered counselling for all types of problems from victims of crime to trouble at home.

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