The girl, Zoe Stenton, was rushed to hospital after she was bitten in the face by the dog, a Japanese Akita cross Alsatian.

Zoe, of Wood Green in Castleford had wandered into a neighbours garden in Chiltern Avenue, Castleford where they were having a family party when the attack happened at about 2pm today.

Joanne Cutting, who was attending her nephew's birthday party at the house, described seeing the youngster running around the garden holding her face with blood streaming down.

She said the dog was normally very placid and good with children.

She said the attack lasted a few seconds.

Ms Cutting said the dog, called Spike, had been taken away to be destroyed.

One neighbour who asked not to be named said her own children played regularly with the dog and it was totally out of character for the animal to attack.

"It was not a pretty sight," she said. "At first I thought she was screaming because a bumble bee was after her, then I saw her jump over the fence."

The girl's mother, Debbie Redding, was at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield with the youngster where she was expected to be detained overnight.

Her grandfather, Reginald Redding, told the Yorkshire Evening Post, Zoe was alright and her injuries were not thought to be serious.

Zoe's dad Wayne Stenton said his daughter had been turning her head to wave to her friends when the dog jumped up and attacked her.

He said it bit her left cheek pulling some of the skin away.

"They will have to push her skin back into place and stitch her up.

"She is in pain but they have sedated her. She is being very brave. She is sat watching telly, she's very strong."

They were due to have surgery at 5pm and was expected to be kept in hospital overnight.

The dog was owned by Emma Cutting, 28, and her partner Dave Murdoch, 30, and their children.

They were having a party for six-year-old son, Connor Cutting, at the time.

His heartbroken sister, Tyler Cutting, said through tears: "I can't believe he's gone to live with the police, I have kept three dog biscuits and half a bone to remind me of him."

Neighbour Mandy Smith, 36, a warehouse operative for Asda, said: "I heard loads of screaming at about 12.30pm and looked out of my window. I couldn't see anything though.

"The family got the dog as a puppy a few years ago, but it's massive now. Even when it's on a lead it snaps at people. It's gone for me before and my friend's sister, who was pregnant. "

One little girl at the birthday party said: "I saw her face and I quickly shut my eyes. It was bad. She was bleeding very, very much."

A neighbour said: "I think she just wanted to play with the children. The dog wasn't even out. I think one of the children let it out. I didn't see the dog go for her, I just heard a piercing scream. I had never heard anything like it.

"It happened in seconds. The bites were on her cheek and a bit on her chin.

"Her dad came running from around the corner and tended to her outside until the paramedics arrived.

"It's usually such a placid dog. I let my children play around there. I never thought anything about it.

The owner of the dog added: "It's a placid dog - I've had it since it was eight-weeks-old. It's just because it didn't know her."