A 12-year-old boy was attacked and bitten by a North American Mastiff dog outside shops in High Valleyfield.

The dog lunged at the child, chased and jumped on him.

The terrifying ordeal occurred after the dog had been left unsupervised.

The person in charge of the animal was 34-year-old Brian Waugh, who has appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Waugh, of Ochilview Drive, High Valleyfield, admitted that on December 5 at the Co-op store, Chapel Street, he was in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control and whilst unsupervised it approached a boy. It lunged at him, chased him, jumped on him, bit him on the body, all to his injury and the dog repeatedly failed to stop when commanded to do so by Waugh.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said: “The dog is currently in kennels. Mr Waugh was never the owner. The owner is his ex-partner who is sitting in court. He has no legal interest in what happens to the dog.”

Sheriff Garry Sutherland said: “It’s not just a deferred sentence for Mr Waugh but also the dog.

“The starting point is destruction unless material is put before the court to show that is not necessary.”

The sheriff called for reports and sentencing will take place on May 28. The dog’s fate will also be decided then.