A CONTINGENT destruction order has been imposed on a ‘dangerous’ Great Dane after biting a Tesco delivery driver.

Hector, an eight-year-old black and white German mastiff, attacked a man as he was delivering groceries to a house in Holmes Chapel.

The incident happened at 7.30pm on April 20, this year, Crewe Magistrates Court heard on September 11.

The dog’s owner Zara Jones, 40, of Ravenscroft, returned to her home with her partner and two dogs as the driver was collecting a tray of groceries from his van.

Whilst getting the dogs out of the vehicle, Hector slipped his lead and ran over to the delivery driver.

The driver saw the dog out of the corner of his eye and raised his hands to defend himself.

The dog then bit the victim on his right arm, causing three puncture wounds, the court heard.

The driver was knocked down by the dog, who then released the victim, roamed round the cul-de-sac and returned home, shortly after Jones called it.

The driver was treated by paramedics who bandaged his arm and advised him to go to hospital.

Jones pleaded not guilty to being the person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

However, after listening to the evidence, magistrates found the case proved at an earlier hearing in June.

The case was adjourned to obtain a report into the temperament of the dog.

Jones was ordered to pay £450 costs, £200 compensation, £180 fine and £72 victim surcharge.

Magistrates made a contingent destruction order on the dog ‘to prevent any further incidents’.

This means that the owner must take specific measures to keep the dog under control, such as muzzling or keeping it on a lead.

The defendant was given until October 12 to pay the £902 court penalty in full.

*This story previously stated that the dog had been put down. This has now been amended to say that a contingent destruction order has been imposed.