Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier has been awarded £150 compensation by magistrates after being bitten on the leg by a farmer’s dog.

The owner admitted failing to keep the border collie under proper control when he appeared in court last week and was also fined £300.

But Mr Brazier, who was staying with friends near Llandrindod Wells in Wales at the time last summer, said he had hoped the animal would be put down because it was dangerous and a threat to the neighbouring family who have young children.

He was out walking with the neighbour when the dog attacked him, tearing his trousers and leaving a bite mark on his calf, although he did not need hospital treatment.

After the case he said: "I’m not interested in the compensation but I agreed to support the prosecution because quite honestly the dog is extremely dangerous and has bitten other people.

"The friend I was staying has had a torrid time having tragically lost his wife and the children their mother from a brain disease and the dog is a threat to them.

"I’ve nothing against the farmer, Kenneth Powell who seems a decent bloke and I am certainly not anti-dog. He has quite a few dogs but Towser, who bit me, is a threat to the children. He even tried to bit the police car when it arrived."

In court, Mr Powell’s solicitor said that Towser had not bitten anyone before and only attacked the MP because he was with the neighbour, William Haywood whose own terrier had been shot the day before for worrying sheep.

He claimed the terrier had frequently irritated the sheep dogs and Towser had associated it with Mr Haywood but had bitten the wrong man.