A WIFE watched in horror as a bull terrier bit her husband on the face in a terrifying dog attack outside a Basingstoke shop.

Bending down to pet the dog turned into a nightmare for Andrew Morgan as the bull terrier bit him on the nose and mouth, smashing his glasses and breaking a front tooth.

The attack happened after Mr Morgan, 37, and his wife Jill, 58, from Beecham Berry, Brighton Hill, had gone to the Stanford Road One-Stop shop to buy a newspaper at 6.40pm last Sunday.

The furniture salesman told The Gazette: "I put my hand out to the dog and it jumped at me. The next thing I remember I was pouring with blood."

He and his wife, who went into shock when she saw the attack, were taken inside the shop where an ex-marine, who had been shopping there, looked after Mr Morgan until an ambulance took him to Basingstoke hospital.

"His nose was really bad, it was gaping," said Mrs Morgan.

"His tooth was broken and there was blood on his favourite shirt. I was crying my eyes out. He is epileptic so I am really glad that he did not have a fit."

Mr Morgan had to have butterfly plasters placed on his nose and lip and was prescribed antibiotics.

The dog, thought to be a brown Staffordshire bull terrier with white flecks, and its owner, a white male, left the scene.

Mr Morgan said: "I don't want the dog to be put down but I think it's the owner's fault - these dogs are usually muzzled."

Pc David Mills, who spoke to Mr Morgan after the incident, said he would like to speak to the dog's owner.

Anyone who can help the police inquiry is asked to call Pc Mills on 0845 045 45 45.