A “COWARDLY” dog owner has been condemned for allowing his English bull terrier to maul a miniature Yorkshire terrier to death in front of a mother’s young sons.

The mother-of-three, who has asked to remain anonymous, was taking six-month-old puppy Samson for a Sunday morning walk over a field known locally as ‘the cobs,’ by Sutton Heath Road.

Her two youngest sons, aged five and six, were with her and watched in horror as the family pet was attacked.

She said Samson had been playing when a dog described as an English bull terrier darted over and began tossing him around the field like a rag doll.

The woman said: “The dog had a full lock on Samson, and once it was released, the owner put the dog back on a lead and made the excuse that he needed to go because he was covered in blood after I told him the police had been called.

“I told him to stay, because the police need to speak to him, but he just said ‘f*** that,’ and ran off.

“He ran off and left a woman with two hysterical kids. The man is a coward.”

The police arrived 10 minutes later, as well as the woman’s husband, who immediately took a lifeless Samson to the vets.

He was put to sleep a short time later after vet said he would have to undergo multiple operations that he might not survive to repair his ripped out jaw and savaged legs.

The woman said: “My dog didn’t stand a chance, and no child should see what mine did that day, but next time it could be a child who gets attacked.

“My kids have struggled to sleep ever since, and can still hear Samson scream out in pain. One of them said to me yesterday that the happiness in his tummy had gone. That’s heartbreaking.”

The attack happened on Sunday, May 19 at 10.15am.