A dad-of-five has told how he feared a savage dog had ripped his thumb off as he tried to protect his pet pooch.

Alex Gilchrist, 46, tackled a black Staffordshire Terrier as it attacked his four-year-old crossbreed Snoop in Durrockstock Park, in Paisley.

However, the beast turned on Alex, sinking its teeth into his left hand before locking its jaws on his thumb.

Paisley police have appealed for any witnesses who were in Durrockstock Park.

Alex, from Waverley Road, said: "The dog pulled me from side to side for about 30 or 40 seconds by my hand.

"I honestly thought my thumb was gone at one point.

"It all happened so quickly and out-of-the-blue, I didn't have time to think about anything else. My initial concern was for Snoop and then I was trying to protect myself."

Anyone with information about the three men who wrestled the dog off of Alex before leaving the park is asked to call 101.