Gary Hindley, 56, admits allowing his dog to be dangerously out of control after it bit off part of a girl's ear last month

A man whose dog bit off part of a six-year-old girl's ear has been given a 12-week suspended jail term.

Gary Hindley, 56, of Chingford, Essex, admitted allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place and causing injury under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 after his dog mauled the child in a park in Essex last month.

Hindley was sentenced at Thames magistrates court in London for his role in the incident, which also left the child with injuries to her neck and shoulder. His sentence was suspended for two years.

Hindley was disqualified from owning any animal for a period of 10 years and will also be electronically monitored, with the imposition of a curfew between 8pm and 7am for six weeks.

He must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, to be completed in the next 12 months, and pay compensation totalling ?450 ? a sum which District Judge Robert Roscoe said he would regard as "very low compensation", adding that it would have been "far more" if he was in employment.

The judge also ordered that the dog, named Buddy, be destroyed.