Leeds dog attack: Hero neighbour stepped in to save elderly man from savage 'American pitbulls'

A 79-year-old man bitten by two ‘dangerous’ dogs is in a bad way in hospital, say witnesses living on Garth Walk in Moortown.

Moortown dog attack: Gruesome photos released of policeman's bite injuriesThe pensioner has been named locally as ‘Ronnie’ Simpson and is too poorly to undergo surgery, it was said.

The drama apparently unfolded when ‘Ronnie’ heard a commotion and spotted two dogs which he believed were trapped in his front garden.

He went to let them out but was set upon by the vicious animals - which neighbours believe may be American pitbulls, a banned breed - at around 4.30am on Saturday.

The animals are believed to have originally escaped from a property near Garth Walk.

A next-door neighbour has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by locals after he stepped in to defend the pensioner.

He used a pan and bat to scare off the dogs before bundling the pensioner back into his house, it was claimed.

The man then returned outside to find a neighbour, believed to be the 59-year-old victim left with “potentially life-changing” injuries, across the road had been savagely bitten in the neck, his arms and had a chunk of his leg missing, it was said.

Locals claim he threw a plant pot at the dogs to deter them before emergency services arrived on the scene.

A 50-year-old mum-of-one, who did not want to be named, said: “We got woken up about 4.30am and it sounded like revellers screaming.

“Police cordoned all the street off and we later found out by a neighbour that Ronnie, who is an old man in his 70s, had got up to go to the toilet and saw these two American pitbulls in his front garden.

“He had come down because they were running around the garden as if they were trapped.

“They are very vicious dogs and are constantly, constantly, constantly barking, they sound like savage dogs.

“Ronnie has come out to let them out of his garden and they’ve got him.

“The next-door neighbour has come out to protect Ronnie by hitting them with stuff to get them off him.

“I know the neighbour better than I know Ronnie, he has been a hero. He doesn't have a mark on him but is very badly shaken.

“He managed to get Ronnie back in the house and then heard another commotion. Another neighbour, who lives opposite, has come out to see what has happened and the dogs have got hold of him.

“The neighbour has been badly bitten on his neck, savaged on his arms, had a big chunk of his leg bitten off and is in surgery now.

“Poor Ronnie is too poorly and it’s not sounding good for him.”

She claimed the attack was ‘waiting to happen’ after being plagued by the dogs which could be barking day and night.

“It’s a quiet street and usually you can hear a pin drop so you don’t expect this,” she added.

“It’s out of the blue and for two years at least you could hear the dogs constantly, day and night.”

Neighbours say ‘Ronnie’ lost his wife to cancer at around Easter.

A police cordon was in place along Garth Walk but it was lifted at around 1pm.

The dogs have been seized and two people arrested.

A police officer was bitten on the arm after one of the animals broke free during attempts to contain them. He remains in hospital.

The breed of the dogs has not been confirmed by police.

Anyone with information is asked to ring West Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting log reference 348 of September 29.