Hundreds fall victim to dog attacks in the Black Country

And 161 of those people bitten were taken to hospital, figures released by the West Midlands Ambulance Service have revealed.

The figures come after it was revealed dog attacks have soared 76 per cent in the UK over the past decade, according to Health and Social Care Information Centre statistics.

Sandwell and West Birmingham was the worst hit area, with 108 attacks registered. Of those, one victim was a baby, six were infants, 11 were children and 61 were adults.

In Dudley, 85 people were attacked, including five infants, 11 children and 61 adults.

There have been 73 Walsall victims, including one infant, 17 children and 46 adults, while in Wolverhampton, 70 people were bitten, including two babies, six infants as well as seven children and 46 adults.

Ages were not given for 46 of those bitten in the Black Country area.

Attack victims included a two-year-old and her sister, who were bitten by an Akita/Husky crossbreed, owned by family friend Sarah Russon in Netherton in July last year.

Also bitten was a firefighter, who was attacked while on duty when helping put out a garden fire at a house in Hill Road, Tividale last August. He was bitten by a Japanese Akita.

Two years ago, Amy Hryhoruk, aged nine at the time, had her head shaken viciously in the jaws of a Japanese Akita in front of her horrified father Simon.

Police described the 'predatory' beast as one of the most dangerous dogs they had ever seized.

And though Amy made a full recovery after her father wrestled the animal from her, the schoolgirl's family have since been at the forefront of calls for greater controls on dog owners.

Amy, from Lichfield Road, Rushall, sustained bite marks to the back of her head and needed stitches after the attack.

Her grandfather Peter Washbrook said in June last year that Amy was now wary of some dogs but had moved on from the attack.

And it has not put the family off dogs, as they have a golden retriever called Lucy.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that the dog had escaped the home of pensioner Nirmal Singh before crossing the road and 'stalking' Amy, who was waving goodbye to her grandmother on the driveway at the family home. The judge ordered the animal should be destroyed.

In May 2013, Julie Taylor, from Bushbury, received horror injuries after being attacked by a vicious dog.

Fortunately for Ms Taylor, she had a crystal that was down her bra for good luck.

The dogs teeth bit into her breast, but the crystal helped stop all the dogs teeth puncturing the skin and so helped save her from more damage.

Last April, Morris dancers Amanda Wearing and Geraldine Cale were attacked by a dog during a performance at the Walking the Fair show in Walsall town centre.

Mrs Wearing needed three stitches to her injured ankle, while Mrs Cale suffered bruising and two puncture wounds. Dog owner Matthew Spooner received a 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and his dog was put down.

He was banned from owning a dog for seven years after admitting two counts of owning a dog dangerously out-of-control causing injury.

In the last five years, there have been nearly 200 dog attacks in Wolverhampton alone, leading to more than 100 animals being seized and 65 destroyed.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "If someone suffers an animal bite we would encourage them to wash out the wound with cold running water. The affected area should then have a clean dressing applied to it.

"If you feel the wound needs medical attention then please either call NHS 111 for advice or visit your local walk in centre. They can also give advice on if the patient requires a tetanus injection following the bite.

"If the wound does not stop bleeding after direct pressure being applied for a few minutes, then the patient should make their way to their local A&E department.

"If you feel the animal bite is life threatening then please call 999 immediately."