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A police officer has been left needing surgery after being mauled by an out-of-control police dog.

The officer was trying to catch a suspected car thief in the early hours of Tuesday in the Shelfield area of Walsall, West Midlands following a 10-mile car chase.

But when he returned to the car to check for any other passengers, he was set upon by a police dog which had been released by its handler.

CCTV footage shows the officer being dragged to the ground by the dog, before its handler and other officers rushed to help.

An ambulance crew was sent to the scene and treated the officer’s injuries, which paramedics described as ‘serious’, before he was taken to hospital.

West Midlands Police has launched an investigation.

A spokesman for the force said: ‘One of our traffic officers was bitten by a police dog from our West Midlands Police Dog Unit following the pursuit of a stolen car which started in the Cannock area of Staffordshire and ended in Leighs Road, Shelfield.

‘A stinger was deployed and the vehicle was stopped.

‘The officer got out of the vehicle to give chase to a man who ran from the car and was bitten.

‘No arrests were made.

‘The officer was quickly rushed to hospital where he received treatment for cuts and bites received in the attack. He underwent surgery and is still in hospital.

‘Our professional standards department has been informed of the incident and as with all dog bites, an internal investigation will take place.’

A neighbour described hearing ‘screaming’ and sirens as he was woken up by the incident at around 1.20am.

John Davies, a father of one who lives in the street, said: ‘We were in bed and heard the sirens blazing up the road.

‘We got up to have a look what was happening and we could see someone on the ground with a police dog attached to him.

‘They were shouting “get this dog off” over and over and we just assumed it was the criminal who the dog had a hold of.

‘About a minute later the dog handler came and got the dog off, but it was only when we looked back at the CCTV we realised it wasn’t the criminal, it was a police officer.

‘We could see the dog but not where it had a hold of the officer, but we think it was on his leg.

‘He must have been in pain, he was screaming out.

‘I think the dog must have just been released a bit too early and the police officer got in the way of the dog getting the criminal.

‘You can see the guy get away and run up the alley, then the police officer returned to the vehicle and was attacked by the police dog.

‘Luckily it wasn’t a passing pedestrian.’

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