Four hurt in escaped dog attack
BBCSeveral people, including a mother trying to protect her young children, have been attacked by three German Shepherd dogs on a residential street.
Cleveland Police said the animals, which escaped from a property on Sheriff Street in Hartlepool shortly before 14:00 BST, had now been captured.
The North East Ambulance Service said it took one person to hospital and treated three others at the scene, who later attended hospital themselves.
The mother, who does not want to be named, told the BBC she had just got out of her car and was about to go into her house when she saw the dogs running towards her.
"At first I thought nothing of it, but one of them kind of clocked me and went for me," she said.
"I tried to keep the car between us and was running round and round it but then I thought, right I might be able to get to my house.
"As I opened the door one of them grabbed me in the back of my thigh and pulled me backwards, and after that things were a bit of a blur."
It was especially scary because her 14-week-old baby was in the hallway in his pram and the dogs were trying to get into the house as well, she said.
Another resident spoke of how he was bitten trying to protect the woman and her young son.
Scott Holliday said he heard screams and saw a dog grabbing the woman by the leg as she tried to run into her house.
He said: "The door [of the house] was still open. I ran over and shut the door and held onto the handle to make sure it was secure.
"There were two young girls in the house and the baby was in its buggy in the hallway.
"The dogs were ragging me about but I had to make sure the door stayed shut and the people inside, especially the kids, were safe."
He added: "It was scary, several of us ended up in hospital and I've got a pretty sore leg, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse."
Armed police arrived at the scene and three dogs were taken away.
None of the dogs had been destroyed, Cleveland Police said.
Officers said the area was safe, having earlier asked people to stay away and keep indoors.