A PERSHORE boy has slammed a dog owner who let his pet savage a squirrel in Abbey Park.

Matthew Schneider, aged 14, was sitting with his friend by the Abbey at around lunchtime when a man let his dog off the leash to chase after a grey squirrel.

The dog, described by Matthew as "like a bulldog but without the saggy cheeks", chased after and caught the squirrel before shaking it to death.

Matthew said: "The dog was running around with the squirrel in its mouth, and its owner didn't seem to care - it made me feel quite sick."

"The squirrel then bit the dog on the nose, which caused it to yelp. It then shook the squirrel around in its mouth - the squirrel put up a good fight."

Matthew added that he and his friend went chasing after the dog and eventually got it to drop the squirrel, but it was bleeding heavily from the nose and mouth and died shortly afterwards.

Matthew and his friend wanted to reprimand the man for letting his dog kill the rodent, but the man had gone. He said a friend of the man then walked past and said: "Oh well, these things happen."

He then walked off and the boys took it upon themselves to bury the squirrel.

Matthew said: "It was a very bad thing for the owner to let his dog do something like that."

Sylvie Dalton, for Wychavon District Council, said it had not received any complaints regarding the incident.

"The council's policy is to allow dogs off the lead in its parks and recreation grounds," she said.

"Dogs however are not allowed in children's play areas. The council actively encourages responsible dog ownership at all times but this, we suspect, was a one-off involving a dog momentarily showing a natural instinct involving a wild animal.

"Most squirrels are far too quick to be caught, suggesting this one may have been sick or old."

Jo Cunningham, of the RSPCA, said: "Owners need to make sure that their animals are kept under control at all times and it is an offence to have an animal out of control in a public place under the Dangerous Dogs Act."