THE mum of a girl mauled by a bull mastiff hopes the law will be changed to allow the destruction of dogs that attack people on private property.

Tracy Walker's daughter, Courtney, had her face ripped apart by the animal after she went into a neighbour's garden to fetch a pair of ladders.

Although the nine year old suffered serious injuries in the attack last June, police were powerless to act because the attack occurred on private property.

Now Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has appealed to the Commons to close the legal loophole, describing in Parliament how the youngster was set upon by the dog in Dukinfield.

The family have since emigrated from their home in Vicarage Drive to begin a new life in New Zealand.

Mum Tracy said: "It was my intention that following Courtney's unprovoked, savage attack that left her with devastating injuries, no child should suffer such attacks again.

"She has suffered physically, mentally and emotionally and will need more plastic surgery.

"There have been at least six more attacks on children in Britain either resulting in horrific injuries or their deaths. We are supposed to be in a civilised society, yet we allow such atrocities to occur. I will not stop until innocent children are safe and dog owners are made responsible for their animals." Mr Gwynne's appeal comes after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by a pit bull terrier dog at her grandmother's home in St Helens.

Pit bull terriers are one of the four breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, though bull mastiffs are not. "As this attack took place on the dog owner's property, Greater Manchester Police have been unable to call for any criminal punishments," Mr Gwynne told the Commons.

Under the act, a court can call for the destruction of a dog if it has been dangerous in a public place or a private place where it is not permitted to be.

But the law does not apply to an "easily accessible" private place on the owner's property, the MP said.