A TINY sausage dog is facing being put down - for biting a neighbour's ankle.

Friends of owner Melanie Hobson, 25, cannot believe her eight inch tall Dachshund Lucy is being brought before the courts.

Stunned Melanie, who lives with husband Stephen, 33, and their two children, said: "Lucy is a lovely dog. I would never have her round my kids if I thought she was dangerous.

"You only need to look at her. She's tiny - how can she be classed as a dangerous dog? "I just want this whole nightmare to be over.

I can't bear the thought of Lucy being put down. I don't know how I would break that to the kids - they love her."

On the day of the alleged attack in Gosforth, Newcastle, Melanie was carrying shopping home while her children Monique, two, and Jacob, four, ran in front of her.

"Next thing I know our neighbour accuses Lucy of biting him on the ankle," the full-time mum recalled. Melanie added: "She's never done anything like that before. The kids adore Lucy and, to be honest, they drag her all over the place. She's kind and gentle with them and incredibly patient."

A week after the alleged attack in October last year, Northumbria police knocked on Melanie's door to take a statement from her.

She said: "When they saw how big Lucy was you could see in their faces they thought, 'What are we doing here?' I thought that would be the last of it but then I got the court summons and I was absolutely petrified."

At Newcastle magistrates last week she entered a plea of not guilty to having a dangerous dog in a public place.

Melanie added: "The children could loose their best friend if Lucy is put down.

"I know the authorities are having to be careful at the moment because of all the news about dangerous dogs, but everybody I've spoken to finds it hard to believe."

The case is due to go to trial later this year.