A grandmother has described the horrifying moment her beloved pet was fatally attacked and violently shaken by another dog.

Shirley Patterson, who lives on Beaumont Road in Carlton Colville, was walking near home with her dog Millie on Monday (April 1) afternoon when she came across two boys with an Alsatian.

Knowing Millie to be a nervous dog, Mrs Patterson decided to turn around as she reached the junction with Church Lane and take an alternative route.

But before she knew it the Alsatian had run at Millie, who is a cross between Jack Russell and Chihuahua, before grabbing her in its jaws and repeatedly shaking her.

'When I got round the corner and saw the two little kids standing there with a large Alsatian, I thought I would go the other way,' said Mrs Patterson. 'It wasn't on a lead but what looked like a piece of rope.

'Before I could change direction the Alsatian had run over and grabbed my little Millie. It just shook her and shook her.

'I tried to get Millie away but then of course the dog came for me. Luckily two men in passing cars came over to help and I can't thank them enough.'

Millie underwent a serious operation but despite making good progress, she passed away.

Mrs Patterson, 76, is now desperate warn other about the presence of a potentially dangerous dog in the area.

'What I really want is to make it known that this dog is being walked in the area,' added Mrs Patterson, who spent more than £1,000 on Millie's treatment.

'These kids couldn't have been more than eight and ten-years-old and should never have been walking it on their own. Hundreds of people in Lowestoft have little dogs who would not stand a chance against an animal of this size.'

Speaking ahead of Millie's passing, she said: 'Millie is a lovely dog but, assuming she pulls through, I will have to be very careful in future because she is already very nervous and this is only going to make things worse. At the moment I just don't know whether she'll make it home.'

Suffolk police are carrying out enquiries into the attack.