A blind mother has criticised “indifferent” dog- owners after her daughter was attacked.

Julia Wilson’s seven-year-old daughter was left tearful and bruised after being knocked over by a dog in Homefield Park, Worthing.

When the owner saw Julia was blind he told the mother-of-four her daughter Madeleine had fallen over.

Julia, 38, of Worthing, said: “We were in the park and a dog tried to bite my daughter’s face.

"All I could hear was her screaming. It was terrible. She was bruised on her shoulders and covered in mud.

"When the owner realised I couldn’t see he said: ‘Your daughter fell over’.”

Julia also criticised dog walkers who allowed their dogs to distract Esme, leaving her disoriented.

She said: “We were on the beach and a dog was trying to hump Esme. She was distracted and I was disoriented.

"My nephew was pushed over and the dog sat on him. We called to the owner but she just ambled over and said: ‘Please don’t shout at me’.”

Ian McParland, a Worthing dog behaviourist, said: “The law has now been changed so it’s an offence to attack an assistance dog.

"If Julia’s dog was injured that’s potentially a very serious offence.”

Worthing Borough Council confirmed that dogs are banned from certain parts of Worthing beach between May 1 and September 30.