A FOUR-year-old girl was rushed to hospital for surgery on her face after being bitten by an unleashed dog.

The infant was attacked by a Staffy-type dog near a parade of shops in Findon Road, Whitehawk, Brighton, at about 6.30pm on Thursday.

The youngster was with her older sister near the junction with Whitehawk Road when the dog struck, sinking its teeth into her face and puncturing her upper lip.

Sussex Police said she was taken to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton for surgery.

The dog was off its lead with two similar dogs – two were black and one was white. They were with a man described as white, in his 50s, with bright purple hair and a brown moustache.

Detectives have retrieved CCTV from the nearby Premier newsagent in a bid to trace the purple-haired man, but had not arrested anyone by the time The Argus went to press last night.

Whitehawk resident Derek Simmons, 52, said yesterday: “There are always dogs off their leads around here.

“All it takes is one dodgy dog and owner and something like this happens.

“I didn’t see what happened to the little girl but I’ve heard people talking about it. If the guy has purple hair then surely he should be caught soon.”

Jamie Mace, of the Sussex-based Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, said attacks were typically |from cross breeds rather than |pure bred Staffordshire Bull |Terriers.

He said: “Nine out of ten attacks are from crosses, which are mongrels. We’re trying to keep the pure breed Staffordshire Bull Terrier and have nothing to do with the so-called crosses.

“I feel sorry for the youngster that has been attacked but when there are incidents like this, loyal and loving Staffordshire breeds are painted in an awful light.

“Not every dog is 100% perfect, but the crosses and mongrels are the problem.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident or recognises the description of the owner and his dogs is asked to email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 1287 of 09/04.

In 2010 a coroner questioned whether American bulldogs should be kept by families with young children after an 18-month-old girl was mauled to death by her uncle’s pet in Crawley.

Zumer Ahmed was set upon by the animal, called Game, at her home in Cotton Walk, Broadfield, Crawley, on April 17 that year.

She was in the kitchen when the pet – six times her weight – entered the house from the back garden and started attacking her after which two workmen nearby were alerted and tried in vain to rescue Zumer from its jaws but her injuries were too severe.

In a separate incident last year, a woman was hospitalised after a dog bit her on the arm before choking to death on its own lead.

The pet was being trained to get used to traffic by its owner in Lewes Road, Brighton, when it turned on her. The owner suffered a broken arm and, during the struggle, the dog became tangled in its lead and died.

In 2009 former model Princess Goodwin, 51, from East Grinstead was savaged by her greyhound as she slept. The dog sank its teeth into her nose and cheeks, leaving her needing emergency surgery on her face.