A VICIOUS dog left a girl with a broken finger and a Christmas spent in hospital.

Kirsty Robson, 15, of Acomb, York, was rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve after she was attacked at Batchelor Hill.

The Acomb green space - bordered at the top by Askham Lane, and running along Tennant Road, off Cornlands Road - is popular among local dog-walkers.

She, her mum Jackie, 35, and her 12-year-old brother, Liam, were walking the family pet, Libby, a two-year-old mongrel, at about 4pm.

Two terriers set upon Libby, and as Kirsty tried to protect her, one of the dogs bit the middle-finger of her left hand.

"Libby was playing in the sand embankment at Batchelor Hill," Jackie said.

"We suddenly saw these two terriers come over the hill. I could tell immediately that something was up, by the way they were barking.

"Libby started running back towards us. The dogs followed her and surrounded us.

"We were trying to pick Libby up to get these dogs off her, because they were jumping up at her and biting her neck and back."

As Kirsty tried to protect Libby, one of the terriers bit her.

Jackie said: "Kirsty was hysterical.

"She started screaming her head off saying that her finger had come off.

"She thought the dog had bitten it off, so she started looking on the ground for her fingertip.

"We were in a state of sheer panic." As Jackie struggled to help Kirsty and Libby, the dogs' owner came on to the scene.

"He saw what was happening and strolled over," Jackie said.

"There was blood everywhere and Kirsty was crying her eyes out, but he didn't say anything - he just put his dogs back on the lead and walked off.

"I said to him: Have you seen what your dog's done to my daughter? It's bit her.' But he didn't say anything.

"I'm shocked that this man didn't apologise or anything.

"He could see what had happened - the dogs were going mental and there was blood everywhere."

The family rushed home and went to York Hospital.

"We went to A&E and got it X-rayed," Jackie said.

"The tip of the finger bone had snapped off the rest of the bone.

"It's the last thing you want on Christmas Eve. It turned into an absolute nightmare."

Kirsty's finger was reset and six stitches were used to seal the wound.

She returned to the hospital on Christmas Day and then a further three times to check the wound for infection.

She has now been told her fingernail base has been permanently damaged, meaning the nail may not grow back.

Jackie had this message for the dog owner: "You should control your dogs better, and if they behave like that, they shouldn't be off the lead at all."