A 76-year-old woman needed reconstructive surgery after she was badly bitten by a teenager’s dog in Bradford city centre, a Court heard.

Elizabeth Corner had skin from her thigh grafted to her mauled right arm following the attack outside a bookmaker’s in Market Street.

Bradley Greenwood fled in fear with his two bull terriers when an angry crowd gathered after Mrs Corner was injured at about 2pm on August 5 last year.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Greenwood, 19, of Havelock Street, Thornton, Bradford, tied the family pets to a lamp-post while he used a gaming machine at the bookmaker’s.

Prosecutor Shamaila Qureshi said that White Boy, the English bull terrier that leapt up and latched on to the pensioner, may have been attracted to the smell from a bag of fish and chips she was carrying.

Greenwood admitted being the owner of a dog that caused injury while out of control in a public place.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 80 hours’ unpaid work.

Judge Peter Benson made a suspended destruction order on White Boy and ruled that he must be muzzled when he is walked in a public place.

The judge said Greenwood had perhaps not been sensible to tie his two dogs up on the street but young people did not always behave in a sensible manner.

The attack was an accident and the teenager was remorseful and upset when he saw the shocking injury to Mrs Corner’s arm.

Miss Qureshi said Greenwood was traced and arrested the day after the attack.

He told the police the family dogs were mother and son and had never hurt anyone.

He said he ran from the scene because an aggressive crowd gathered and he was scared.

Greenwood’s solicitor, Ian Hudson, said his client had never been in trouble with the police before and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

The case had been sent to the Crown Court by Bradford magistrates because Mrs Corner’s injuries were so serious.