SCHOOLBOY Thomas Gibbins was left shocked and terrified after his puppy was mauled to death by another dog in front of him.

Thomas, ten, was walking four month-old Labrador Murphy on Llantarnam Road, Cwmbran when the puppy was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

The terrified boy tried to stop the horrific attack - but was unable to save his pet. His mother, Debbie, of Greenwillows, said Thomas took Murphy out for a walk at 1.15pm on Tuesday.

"He went to the flower gardens as usual," she said. "He walked the dog there two or three times a day. I wasn't with him but he was with a friend.

"They went over the gardens and as they were walking the puppy around a Staffordshire bull terrier, which wasn't on a lead, started sniffing Murphy. It attacked him - it bit him on the throat and shook him like a rag doll."

Mrs Gibbins, 31, said Thomas attempted to pull Murphy free, but saw blood coming from the puppy's mouth and ran to get help from some people in a car.

Mrs Gibbins said: "He was brought home and my father, Jim McLaren, went to find Murphy."

The pup was lying dead in a pool of blood. Mr McLaren took Murphy to a local vet where a post-mortem examination revealed he had received a puncture wound to a vein in his neck which caused his death.

Mrs Gibbins said her son is finding it difficult to sleep at present and keeps re-living what has happened.

She said: "We have asked him if he wants another dog but he is petrified of having one just in case the dog attacks him." And she added: "The flower gardens are of full of kids and I dread to think what could have happened if the terrier had attacked a child."

Sergeant Mike Goldie, of Cwmbran Police, said the Staffordshire bull terrier's owners are being interviewed by police and a report on the incident is being to the Crown Prosecution Service with a view to having the dog destroyed or kept under control.