The family of a young boy whose ear was torn off in a horrific dog attack is backing a campaign for tougher legislation that aims to avoid others suffering a similar fate.

Ryan Booth was mauled by two dogs as he picked acorns in Bishopton in 2015.

He was six at the time of the attack and has since undergone five surgeries to repair the damage.

Ryan’s mum Claire is among those supporting the ‘Lead the Way’ campaign, which is calling on the Scottish Government to review the current legislation to prevent dog attacks.

The campaign is being organised by Radio Clyde amid concerns that existing laws don’t go far enough to provide adequate protection.

Claire said: “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. Ryan in appearance is doing brilliant but he has a disfigurement.

“He is terrified of dogs now and I have experienced a lot of emotional trauma as a result of watching these two dogs maul my son. I’ve had flashbacks and I’ve been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I thought they were killing him. I knew what these dogs were capable of and I really thought they were going to kill him. I was powerless to pull them off him. They were so heavy and, when Ryan was screaming out, I was just terrified they would get his throat.

“It could have been so much worse but he has to go through, on a daily basis, people staring at him and asking questions about his disfigurement because he is missing a chunk of his ear.”

More than 1,000 children and adults were admitted to hospital following dog attacks in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area in the first six months of 2017 alone.

Renfrewshire North and West MSP Derek Mackay, along with former Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil, who first introduced the Control of Dogs Act to Scotland in 2011, have voiced their support for the Lead the Way campaign.

For more information, visit https://planetradio.co.uk/clyde/local/news/lead-way-can-support-campaign-protect-children-scotland-dog-attacks/