A young man had a lucky escape after he was attacked by a pack of dogs roaming the streets.

The victim was walking home from work along Ilmington Drive, Basildon, when four German shepherds chased him.

He tried to escape through a garden and over a wall, but was chased by the dogs until passer-by, Stephen Newton, came to his rescue and scared them away.

The man's overalls were punctured by one of the dogs, but he was wearing jogging bottoms underneath so the only injury he suffered was a small cut on his leg.

He was taken to hospital by ambulance and given antibiotics.

Mr Newton, 43, of Ilmington Drive, said the dogs had caught the man's heels as he tried to run away, bringing him down in the middle of the street.

He said: "As I approached the young lad the dogs had moved off, but they were coming back for more.

"I ran towards them with my hands in the air shouting and basically making a lot of noise. They came back three times, but each time the shouting was enough to scare them off.

"God knows what would have happened if they had stood their ground."

The victim, who is in his early 20s and does not want to be named, said: "I just keep thinking what would have happened if they had gone for a little toddler.

"It all happened so quickly, a young child wouldn't have stood a chance.

"They were going for my calves and if they had come back again I think they would have finished me off. I don't know where the dogs came from."

Mr Newton said the dogs had escaped through a garden fence and were running around in a pack acting very aggressively.

He said: "There were eight or nine people out on the street, some of them had pickaxes and were searching for the dogs."

Acting Sgt Gary Eyers, of Basildon police, said two police officers and the dog warden went to the incident but they did not capture the dogs. He said: "The dogs are no longer on the streets and inquiries are being made at a local address."

Stephen Newton - came to the rescue

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