A man whose Alsatian dog Alfie escaped from his garden and bit a passer-by has been told he must keep the dog muzzled when he takes it out in future and warned that if anything like this happens again the dog could be ordered to be destroyed.

Jonathan Walland, 61, of School Road, Knapton, admitted being in charge of a dangerous dog, but Norwich Crown Court heard there was no suggestion that he had deliberately allowed his dog to bite anyone.

Judge Alasdair Darroch ordered that the six-year-old dog is muzzled when it is in the front garden or out in public and made Walland subject to a two-year community order.

He said: 'I'm not ordering your dog to be destroyed but if it were to happen again it might be very much more difficult for you to persuade the court.'

He said what happened was 'very frightening and painful' for the victim.

However he accepted Walland had not set the dog on the person or encouraged it to act in this way: 'If you had it would be very serious indeed.'

Michael Clare, for Walland, said that the dog had banged against the gate which had sprung open.

He added that Alfie was a placid family pet and Walland now kept him muzzled when he took him out and had also stopped him from going in the front garden.

'He is very sorry about what happened.'