A woman who was left traumatised after being set upon by five dogs says that she has been failed by Essex Police who have cautioned the owner.

Laura Curd, 44, had her fingers crushed in the mouth of one of a pack of dogs who targeted her pet whippet on October 1.

Mrs Curd from Sewardstone was walking Willow in Gunpowder Park in Waltham Abbey when the attack happened.

She saw a man walking behind her with five Staffordshire Bull Terriers without leads or collars and moved off of the path to avoid them.

Despite her actions, they still attacked.

Now, almost four months later, Mrs Curd has been told that the Crown Prosecution Service will not take the case to court.

She said: “I just can’t believe it. There is no justice.

“The police haven’t even told me what he has been cautioned with, I wrote to them three weeks ago and I have heard nothing back from them.

“For all I know he is still walking around with those dogs.

“I don’t even know if he has been made to put leads on them or collars. What happens if they attack again?

“I understand that dogs fight but we were attacked. I wasn’t even trying to break it up and I was bitten.”

Mrs Curd has been left with a fear of dogs without leads and had to pay £3,000 for an operation to save her pet.

The vet told her after the attack that it was only the dog’s coat that protected her from death.

Although the owner has to pay the excess for her insurance, Mrs Curd says that the outcome has shocked her.

She said: “I feel so let down. We had to go through that horrifying experience and all he got was a caution.”

Essex Police has been asked to comment on the decision.