Almost 500 people – more than one a day – have had hospital treatment for dog bites in a year.

Both Preston and Chorley hospitals have seen a 20% rise in the number of patients mauled by animals, mainly dogs.

Dog bite injuries leading to people needing treatment have risen by a staggering 20% in Preston and Chorley during the last two years.

Some of the injuries are so bad that the victims need plastic surgery, skin grafts, stitches and even reconstructive surgery to deal with their horrific wounds.

Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble hospitals have dealt with 474 patients bitten by dogs during the last 12 months.

Incidents have risen by one-fifth over the last two years. From April 2006 to March 2007, 427 people were treated for dog bites and in the year before, the hospitals saw 401 patients bitten by dogs.

One schoolboy is still battling back from the horrifying physical and mental scars of his attack.

Jordan Kemp, 11, was savaged by a dog when he visited a friend's house. His mum Sharon, 35, from Chorley, says action must be taken to control dangerous dogs.

The majority of dog attack victims are treated in A&E in Preston or Chorley, but some injuries are so serious, they need to be dealt with by plastic surgeons.

Jeyaram Srinivasan, consultant plastic surgeon at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The dog bite injuries that are referred to us in the plastic surgery department are far more complex and tend to occur mainly in children.

"These can be difficult to treat because of the high risk of infection.

"In some extreme cases where the tissue has been completely lost, we have to undertake complex reconstructive surgery to build it back up to normal.

"This can have a devastating effect on children because not only does it result in long-term scarring, it also has an impact on their confidence and self-image."

>> Boy has nightmares after savage dog attack

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