GRAPHIC IMAGES: Kirkby mum suffers horrific wound after dog attack

Kirkby mum Suzanne Crofts knelt down to stroke a dog only to be savagely attacked.

In these images we show the horrific injury, which left Suzanne Crofts, a mum of six, with a wide open wound and a string of illnesses afterwards.

In the first picture, the extent of the wound immediately after the attack shows how deep the vicious dog, believed to be a banned breed, gauged at her neck. Other images below show Suzanne's stitches and healing in the few weeks after the attack.

Suzanne, of James Street, in Kirkby was visiting her daughter in Nottingham when the terrible attack took place and a vicious 'pitbull-staffie' cross lunged at her after she gave him a friendly stroke.

Image shows the wound Suzanne sustained, taken soon after the attack.

Suzanne was hospitalised after the dog sunk its teeth into her neck, mere millimeters away from a main artery, resulting in an operation and recurring bouts of sickness ever since.

The full-time mum and Norttingham Forest supporter said: "The dog was lovely so I gave him a couple of strokes on the head and then when I turned away he bit me in my neck. He ripped my neck and the bite was one millimetre from my jugular vein.

"I was taken to hospital but there was no plastic surgeon so I had to go into City Hospital the day after for an operation."

The 41-year-old is now recovering from her trauma at home.

Suzanne's neck after she received an operation at Nottingham City Hospital to close the wound.

Miss Crofts claims the dog was a cross between a pitbull and a Staffordshire bull terrier, and would be classed as an illegal breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the dog has been seized and a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault after the incident on May 14. He has since been bailed.

They said: "A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed pending further enquiries."

Miss Crofts says she is too scared to leave the house after she was mauled.

Suzanne has been in hospital on numerous occasions since the attack.

The former cafe owner added: "Since then I keep being sick and I've been in Royal Chesterfield Hospital for the last week. I've never been ill like this before and I don't think it's just a coincidence it has happened since the dog bit me.

"I've always liked dogs but I'm a bit scared about seeing them now," she said."I've got my own dog, Tilly, but she's a pug so she's quite small, but I don't want to leave the house in case I come across any other dogs.

"If I saw a dog now I don't think I'd be able to go near it. I don't really want anyone to see me like this either."

Suzanne was outside the home of her daughter Jaimie-Lee on Cedar Road, Forest Fields, when the attack happened, and by the time her daughter returned home to find her she was bleeding profusely.

The 24-year-old said: "I just froze. Someone told me that a dog had bitten her throat and I could see all the blood. It was sickening and I couldn't even look at it for about five minutes but in the end we managed to get her in a friend's car to take her to hospital."

Neighbour Alison Key, 43, saw the incident unfold. "I came out onto my doorstep after I heard all the shouting," she said.

"The dog got hold of her by the side of her neck. Two guys who live on the road got spades to hit it with. But the dog went back at her again. My children saw the whole thing.

"My youngest was screaming at me, 'mummy, that dog is going to kill that lady'."

Another eyewitness, who wished to remain nameless, said: "I heard screaming so went to try and help Suzanne, and as I got closer I could see that the dog had a grip on her neck.

"She was screaming and I was pulling the dog trying to get it off her but it was locked onto her neck. Another lady came running out and put something on her neck to stop the bleeding and she was in shock."