A PENSIONER was "dragged like a doll" through the street in a fatal attack by his dog.

Witnesses looked on in horror as railway engineer James Rehill, 78, was savaged by his rottweiler in Newham, east London.

Residents armed with baseball bats desperately tried to free Mr Rehill as the dog inflicted horrific injuries to his face and head.

It was only when police officers arrived and discharged six fire extinguishers that the dog was distracted and released its owner.

Paramedics took the seriously injured man to Royal London Hospital after the incident at about 7am yesterday but he died later that day.

Armed officers, who were called to the scene to protect the public, found the dog a short distance away and shot it.

Metropolitan Police Commander Nick Bracken said: "This is a very tragic incident and our thoughts today are obviously with the family and friends of the deceased man.

"This was a difficult situation to deal with but officers, fearing for the safety of other members of the public, dealt swiftly to contain the dog - putting their own lives at risk in doing so."

The attack, in New City Road, Newham, has reignited the debate around the ownership of potentially dangerous dogs.

One witness Aziz Rahman, 32, said dogs like rottweilers should not be allowed out in public.

He said: "It was like something you see in a TV programme. I heard some banging on the door. I looked out of my bedroom window.

"There was a man lying on the floor and a dog was over him, licking and biting him. He looked like a doll, the dog was pulling at him.

"From what I saw, it looked like he was attacking the man. There was blood all over his face."

Mr Rahman said the man was treated "like a piece of meat" and described the police officers who rescued him as "heroes".

Frightened

He added: "My wife could not believe it. She got frightened. Now she's thinking it's fairly scary to go to the local shops on her own."

But taxi driver Lee Hanson insisted that the dog was not attacking the man but trying to help him.

Mr Hanson, who often saw Mr Rehill walking the dog and described them as "best friends", said: "The man was face down and the dog was trying to wake him up.

"The dog wasn't attacking him at all... it was his own dog. It was banging his head, trying to wake him up."

His colleague Bill Collins said he often saw the man walking the animal and did not believe it was a "mad dog".

Ryan O'Meara, the editor of K9 magazine who is campaigning for a dog ownership certificate, said the circumstances of the attack are contradictory.

Mr O'Meara, a dog behaviourist who owns a rottweiler, said it would be unusual for a dog to suddenly turn on its owner in such circumstances.

But speaking about the campaign, he said: "It is a debate worth having because the breed has got a reputation.

"There are still people who say banning the breed is the right thing to do. I am utterly convinced it is not.

"We have banned some breeds and we still have dog attacks. That did not work."

Mr Rehill's neighbour Albert Hunter, 69, said the dog was not aggressive but was big and strong.

He said: "I always knew him as Jim. He used to take the dog out for a walk every day and every night.

"I don't know why (the dog) suddenly went like that. It was never aggressive to anybody that I know of."

There was no answer at Mr Rehill's home, which has a large "Beware of the Dog" sign on the gate, tonight.

The Metropolitan Police said an investigation is under way into the fatal attack and a post mortem examination will be held later this week.

Anyone with information is asked to call Plaistow South police on 020 8721 2591.