New figures reveal that the Durham, Darlington and Tees area has one of the highest rates of dog attacks and bites in the country.

The latest data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) gives an insight into the prevalence of dog bites and reveals who is most likely to become a victim of an attack.

With 294 hospital admissions in the year to February 2015 –24.9 per 100,000 people – Durham, Darlington and Tees were behind only Merseyside for the number of incidents recorded.

The HSCIC found that the 10 per cent most deprived areas had almost three times as many dog attacks than the least deprived areas, saying the variation may be explained by different levels of dog ownership in the regions.

Overall, the statistics indicate that injuries sustained from dog attacks and bites have increased by 76 per cent in the last decade.

There were 7,227 hospital admissions in the past year, compared to only 4,110 in the same period 10 years ago.

Women are more likely than men to be admitted to hospital for an injury sustained by a dog. Worryingly, the statistics also revealed that children aged under nine were the most likely of all age groups to be a victim of a dog attack.

The most common type of injury was an open wound on the wrists, hands, forearms or head. Among children under nine however, injuries were most likely to be sustained on the face.

Dog Bite claims are handled by specialist personal Injury solicitors at Macks. We understand that dog attacks can also have a psychological impact on the victim and can be particularly traumatic for a child. We will ensure that any claim made will include not only compensate for the injury itself, both physical and psychological, but also the cost of any necessary treatment such as psychological therapy or plastic surgery. Contact us on 01642 252 828 and we will be happy to answer your dog bite law questions.