A child was left scarred for life after a Pit Bull Terrier escaped from a house and bit her.

The nine-year-old girl was playing in a garden in Birkby when the pet pounced.

Today at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court it transpired that the dog, which was bought for just £12.50, had attacked people previously.

The animal – a banned breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act – has since been destroyed.

Its owner Nicholas Brougham pleaded guilty to charges of allowing a fighting dog to be in public without being muzzled and kept on a lead, allowing it to stray and being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control and caused injury.

The attack happened on September 9, the Huddersfield court.

The child was playing in a front garden when she noticed Brougham’s dog.

The court heard that others ran as it approached while the child tried to escape it by climbing up over a neighbouring wall as she didn’t like dogs.

The girl fell over and the dog ran after her and bit her right arm.

Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said: “The dog wouldn’t let go and she was scared. Her uncle came out with a stick, hit the dog and it let go of her arm.”

The child was taken to hospital and then referred on to Bradford for an operation.

Mr Bozman said: “Her arm does seem to be getting better but there’s permanent scarring as a result of the attack.

“She has nightmares as a result of the incident.”

The dog was examined by an officer who identified the dog as a Pit Bull type.

Brougham, of Arnold Royd in Rastrick, had the dog put down following incident.

Maggie Cavanagh, mitigating, said that her client had only owned the dog for three weeks prior to the attack.

She said: “He became aware of a couple of individuals wandering round his estate trying to sell the dog.

“He felt sorry for the dog and tried to offer it a better environment. He paid £12.50 for it.”

The court heard that Brougham, 38, had a history of taking in rescue dogs and had not been concerned about the dog’s behaviour.

However, he later learned there had been previous incidents where it had attacked others.

He claimed that it got out of the house after somebody opened the door to have a cigarette and it then jumped over the fence.

District Judge Michael Fanning said: “These dogs are weapons and it’s a weapon that’s got out into the public domain and attacked a nine-year-old.

“Dangerous dogs cases cause grave concern to the communities and more so when a child is attacked and that child will suffer for the foreseeable future.

“Possession of this sort of dog can’t be tolerated.”

Judge Fanning warned Brougham that jail will be considered when he is sentenced on January 13.