THE owner of a springer spaniel allowed her pet dog to go dangerously out of control and bite an 83-year-old Norfolk man on the leg, a court heard.Victoria Alexander was walking Elsie by the station at Reedham, near Yarmouth, when in a one-off incident the animal attacked Samuel Bradbury last October as they passed each other.

THE owner of a springer spaniel allowed her pet dog to go dangerously out of control and bite an 83-year-old Norfolk man on the leg, a court heard.

Victoria Alexander was walking Elsie by the station at Reedham, near Yarmouth, when in a one-off incident the animal attacked Samuel Bradbury last October as they passed each other.

On Friday Alexander, 50, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay �30 costs and �50 compensation to Mr Bradbury after she admitted breaching the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 by allowing Elsie to get dangerously out of control.

During the hearing at Yarmouth Magistrates' Court it was claimed that Mr Bradbury had previously taken a dislike to the dog and had criticised Alexander, of Homelea Crescent, Lingwood, for walking all her dogs on short leads.

Sara Borthwick, prosecuting, said the dog attack happened on the morning of October 8 on a footpath near Reedham station and Mr Bradbury suffered two lacerations on his left calf.

Straight after the attack Alexander, a former legal secretary, apologised to Mr Bradbury.

Claire Collins, representing Alexander, said: “On this particular day because of previous confrontations the dog barked towards Mr Bradbury. As they went past the dog snapped and bit Mr Bradbury.”

The court heard Elsie had never attacked anyone else before and was considered not to be a risk to the public.