ARMED police were called to shoot a dangerous dog after it escaped and killed another animal.

The Japanese Akita savaged a Bull Mastiff and then began wandering Ryhope Road in the Grangetown area of Sunderland early on Friday.

The dog tried to attack the car driven by the person who reported the dog being on the loose and also tried to attack police cars that attended the incident.

Superintendent Marcus Hall said: "It was clear that the dog was in a violent and aggressive frame of mind. The officers were unable to get anywhere near it or control it any way.'' Supt Hall said it was fortunate it was so early as there was hardly anybody around.

An experienced dog handler was brought in to try to bring the dog under control but he was unable to.

A senior officer then decided that as the dog posed a potential risk to people and could possibly cause a road accident that it should be destroyed.

The area was cordoned off until a pair of marksmen managed to despatch the dog.

The owner of the dogs has been located.