THE mother of a toddler who is scarred for life after a large dog bit her in the face at a beauty spot in Worcester has called for the animal to be destroyed.

Three-year-old Katie Nicholson suffered deep cuts, teeth marks, and has a lazy right eye following the attack which left her covered blood and needing 40 stitches.

Yesterday magistrates in Worcester found Karen Chazer guilty of being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place causing injury to a child.

Chazer, a former West Mercia Constabulary kennel maid, was fined £2,000 and ordered to keep her Japanese Akita muzzled and on a lead at all times when in public, but the court failed to order that the dog be destroyed.

Speaking after the three-day trial mum Tracey Nicholson said she was angry with the sentence and wanted the seven-and-a-half stone (47kg) long-haired dog destroyed.

"I'm not being funny but what if that dog attacks again?" she said. "If it attacks another child that family will have to go through what we have been through the last 18 months."

Miss Nicholson said Katie can only see darkness and daylight through her right eye so they have to regularly take her for appointments with specialists and put drops in her good eye to make her use the damaged one.

"I hate doing it," said 27-year-old full-time mum of Malvern. "She cries her little eyes out because they sting. It's just horrible."

Chazer's dog bit Katie when it was left tethered and unattended outside the café at Worcestershire Countryside Centre, near County Hall, Spetchley, on April 10 last year.

Miss Nicholson said Katie, her three sisters and big brother Jamie, are now all scared of dogs and have not been back to centre since.

"We went to the park one day and a lurcher ran towards us," said Miss Nicholson. "It was just playing and it loved kids but when it ran towards the children Katie jumped into my arms. She was scared for dear life."

Before the city's magistrates gave their verdict yesterday, three witnesses for the defence gave evidence saying Chazer's dog was, and still is, a calm and well-mannered animal.

As a result, an order was not made to destroy the dog and chairman of the bench Deidre Drake said it was an "unfortunate event", but one that could have ultimately been avoided.

Thirty-seven-year-old Chazer, of Vintners Close, Brickfields, Worcester was made to pay £625 court costs. She declined to comment after the sentencing.