Florian the terrier was just another loveable pet until he sank his teeth deep into a four-year-old girl's cheek and ripped her tooth out.

Amber Hoole was playing at her grandfather's home near Brighton when she was mauled by the Irish wheaten terrier and scarred for life.

The surgeon who operated on her for almost four hours said she had the worst dog bite injuries he had seen in his career.

The nerve endings of her mouth were severed and she needed 70 stitches. She will also require plastic surgery and dental work over the next few years.

Police launched a prosecution but, a year on, the dog responsible remains alive and well.

It is living with Amber's grandfather Anthony Hoole and his partner Gerda Schmidt - the dog's legal owner - at their home in Rottingdean.

Court proceedings against Mr Hoole were dropped days before he was due to stand trial accused of having a dog dangerously out of control.

Now Amber's father, Steve, and mother, Astrid, - Mr Hoole's daughter - fear the dog could strike again.

They want photographs of their daughter's injuries published to warn parents and dog owners what can happen if animals are not kept under control.

The attack on May 19 last year ripped their family apart. The pressures of the situation contributed to the break-up of Amber's parents' marriage.

Grandfather Mr Hoole had been babysitting at home in Northgate Close when the attack took place.

Astrid said: "From what I've been told, my daughter just bent down to say hello to the dog. She didn't touch it or provoke it in any way but it went straight for her face.

"My father heard her screaming. It all happened so fast - she didn't have time to put her hands up to defend herself.

"We are so lucky it didn't go for her neck.

"When I was called to the hospital I thought my father was being a bit overprotective and the dog had just given her a little nip.

"But when I arrived, my daughter was covered in blood and in a state of shock."

The dog was taken from Mr Hoole's home but returned a month later as legal proceedings began.

For almost a year a death sentence hung over Florian's head.

Mr Hoole appeared in court for a preliminary hearing and denied having a dog dangerously out of control. His case was finally set to be heard on April 28 - his granddaughter's fifth birthday.

Then, just days before the hearing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) withdrew the case.

The CPS said the decision was made on "evidential grounds".

Amber's father, Steve, said: "I was hoping the dog would be destroyed because I don't think it should be on the streets.

"If a human being did this to someone, they would be in prison but this dog has got away with it.

I am concerned it will do it to someone else, maybe another child."

He believes the law should be changed to make it easier for the police to confiscate dogs that bite.

He said: "What more evidence do the CPS want? Have they seen the pictures of my daughter?"

The CPS said it could not specify the reasons for dropping the case but added: "We also took into consideration that the child's mother indicated she did not want proceedings against her father to go ahead."

But Astrid rejected that, saying: "I simply told them I didn't want to stand up in court and give evidence against my own father. I was willing to co-operate in any other way."

In the weeks following the attack, Astrid had found herself under increasing pressure.

She said her father asked her to save the dog's life.

She said: "It was an awful situation but I knew I wanted to protect my daughter and possibly other children from similar attacks in the future.

"I just needed someone to take the decision out of my hands. The law needs to be changed so it is not up to the victim. After all, I'm not an expert.

"I only found out a couple of days before the trial was due to start that it had been withdrawn. I'm still waiting to hear why.

"The fact I haven't been to court is distressing for me. I feel guilty because that dog is still running around without even a muzzle."

Shortly after last year's attack, Astrid told us: "My dad is distraught about the whole thing but feels it's not the dog's fault, it's his.

"He says it has never attacked anyone outside the house and children have ridden on its back without a problem.

"It was extremely lucky my father was close at hand to pull the dog off.

"This was clearly not just a warning snap and it could have been a lot worse because even though the dog had lost most of its teeth in a car accident it managed to bite her six times.

"He's got quite a savage streak, however loveable he is."

Astrid Hoole is one of several Sussex women campaigning for a change in the law governing dangerous dogs.

Astrid believes attacks like the one on her daughter are not the fault of the dog.

She says owners and breeders must take more responsibility in choosing the right animal for their environment.

Owners should restrain their dogs around children and parents to educate children about the potential dangers.

She said: "Never having had a dog I wasn't aware of the problems.

"Fortunately, the relationship between Amber and her grandfather hasn't been spoilt by this. That is the most important thing."

She thanked Jan Cotton at Hopscotch in Seaford, Amber's old nursery, for her support in helping her daughter recover.

Asked about her own relationship with her father, Astrid said simply: "We're working on it."

The Argus approached Mr Hoole, who runs his own furniture business, but he declined to make any comment.