The dog’s owner had to rip the dog’s jaws from the head of the 75-year-old woman, who was left covered in blood

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Jacqueline McGrew, 75, was mauled by a neighbor animal who was confiscated by police. Officers say they believe it could be a pit bull breed. Her son Andrew, 53, was bitten on the woman’s scalp

A pensioner had her mouth ripped off by a dog in an attack that ripped her scalp open to the skull.

Jacqueline McGrew, 75, was mauled by a neighbor animal who was confiscated by police. Officers say they believe it could be a pit bull breed.

Her son Andrew, 53, said: “My mum put her head down to protect herself and was bitten on the scalp.

“The scalp was gone. It went to the skull. Her nose was reconstructed and her head operated on.”

Ms McGrew, who was awarded the British Empire Medal for her community service in 2012, did not have to wait for an ambulance. Her son said: “Luckily, a paramedic across the street heard her screaming. She put her in the car and drove her straight to the hospital.

“Then I got a call at work to say my mother was bitten.

“I thought it might have been her leg or her hand. I didn’t know how bad it would be coming in to see her. It was a real mess. Her clothes were covered in blood. The dog had even bitten through her phone.”

The dog, named Kia, is said to have attacked Ms McGrew in the front yard of her neighbor David Gorton in Blackburn, Lancs as she tried to bring something onto the property.

Mr Gorton has described prying the pet’s jaws open after it has sunk its teeth into its head. He told Lancs Live, the Mirror’s sister website: “I was upstairs and I just heard this weird noise and I was like, ‘What the hell is that?’

“It all happened so fast, I heard all the commotion and ran outside and she was on the ground. The other two dogs trembled. I had to put my hands in the dog’s mouth to get rid of her. Kia is my son Sonny’s dog and he’s had her since she was a baby.”

David, who has a ‘beware of dogs’ sign on his gate, adds: ‘Police also took away Nala, our two-year-old, although she had nothing to do with it.

“Kia has been confiscated and tested before after attacking another dog but they gave her back to us and said she wasn’t a pit bull so I don’t understand why they said they were pit bull type breeds. Sonny said immediately after it happened that he would take Kia to the vet to have her put down.

“But we said we should wait and let the police deal with it.” After Tuesday’s attack, a police spokesman said: “A woman in her 70s was attacked by two dogs in the front yard of an address on Devon Road. The woman suffered serious head and facial injuries.”

He said she was treated at Royal Blackburn Hospital and confirmed two dogs had been confiscated. An investigation is ongoing, he added.

Det Sgt Peter Davies said: “The woman concerned was believed to be making a delivery to the address when she was attacked.

“She sustained significant, life-changing injuries.

“Our thoughts are with her and her family at this time.”