TWO dog owners have been ordered to pay compensation to the women injured by their out of control animals.

Lisa Palmer's German Shepherd bit one woman so badly in Crankley Lane, Raskelf, her leg bled for a fortnight, her tendons were damaged, and for a time doctors feared one of its teeth had been left inside the wound, York magistrates heard.

It was the second time the 45-year-old part-time bank cleaner had been in trouble for not keeping her dogs under proper control.

Palmer who lives in a caravan, and uses an accommodation address in Thirsk, denied a charge under a dangerous dogs law. She claimed the dog was under control and was "only doing its job".

Magistrates convicted her and ordered her to do 200 hours' unpaid work and pay £100 compensation to the victim, who told magistrates the incident had frightened her so much it still caused her nightmares. Palmer must also pay £100 prosecution costs and a £60 statutory surcharge.

After defence solicitor Richard Minion told them the dog had been sold and was now believed to be in Scotland, magistrates decided not to make any order restraining it or putting it down.

Farmer Gary Charles Mortimer Kay, 49, was not in court when his case was called on and after hearing from witnesses, magistrates convicted him in his absence under the same law of allowing his dogs to injure a woman on a footpath by his farm on York Road, Dunnington. She suffered a minor injury to her hand. He had denied the charge at an earlier hearing.

After he arrived 90 minutes late, they gave him a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £100 compensation, a £15 statutory surcharge and £500 prosecution costs. They made no order about the dog that caused the injury.

The woman told magistrates two dogs were protecting a puppy and she was injured when she tried to pick it up.

Kay alleged the dogs involved in the incident were not his and that since the attack, he had erected chicken wire to prevent dogs on his property getting onto the footpath.

Magistrates refused to rehear the trial. They told him the conviction stood, but he could appeal to the crown court if he wanted to.