A WOMAN whose dogs were allegedly involved in a vicious attack, yesterday denied letting the animals roam free.

Lisa Cowley wept as she told Teesside Crown Court that the dogs were taken away from her home by police and council dog warden officers.

She denies three counts of allowing her dogs, on November 2 last year, to run dangerously out of control in a public place. The prosecution says the animals, a boxer, Staffordshire bull terrier and a Jack Russell, attacked Narinder Kaur Batth leaving her with 300 stitches.

Ms Cowley, 30, of Foster Avenue, Murton, County Durham, said she panicked when she discovered two of the dogs had escaped through a door. A third never left the house, she claimed.

She said: "I am not the type of person to let the dogs roam free, and drove around looking for them."

Ms Cowley claimed that she had told police of similar dogs to her own living in the area that may have been responsible for the attack. Her home was about a 15 to 20-minute walk away from where the incident happened, she said.

Earlier, the trial heard from Ralph Shirley, a blacksmith, who had been driving on the B1285 Seaham to Murton Road and witnessed a group of dogs attacking a woman. He attempted to fight them off by hitting them with a car security lock. A van was also driven at the dogs by workmen to scare them off.

Mr Shirley said he had seen blood coming from the animals' mouths along with a "horrendous number" of puncture wounds on the victim's legs.

He identified the dogs when taken by police to kennels where they were being kept, and they were also later picked out at a canine identity parade.

Stephen Duffield, prosecuting, described multiple severe dog bites found all over Mrs Batth's body and said she had been left with permanent scarring. Hairs from the victim's clothing was compared with samples from each of the three dogs, he said.

However, it was not scientifically possible to say whether the hairs matched those of the dogs said to have been involved.

The trial continues.