A village is living in fear after a killer dog struck for a fourth time.

The American XL Bully left a Chihuahua with serious injuries after bounding out of woodland and locking its jaw around its neck.

Four-year-old Evie had to spend six days in a specialist vets and now has metal plates, scars and a limp.

Despite having insurance the attack cost Evie's owner Tessa Burr £10,000.

Now residents of rural Collier Street says they're scared to walk their pets and even take the bins out.

In May, another three cases came to light. One animal died from its injuries. All of the attacks are thought to have been by the same dog.

Maidstone council says a criminal investigation into the attacks is ongoing.

Tessa said: "I wish it had gone for me instead. Everyone's frightened to go out and walk their dogs, even take the bins out. Does a child have to be hurt for it to stop?"

Tessa was walking her two dogs, Ava and Evie, in fields on January 19 when the dog began bounding out of a wooded area nearby.

According to Tessa, it began running at Ava before turning to charge at her.

She said: "The dog was coming for me so I turned my body but kept my eyes on my dogs at all times.

"It must have just seen Evie in the corner of its eye as it turned and went for her.

"I wish it had gone for me and not Evie."

The XL bully breed is an umbrella term used to describe dogs similar to pitbulls and bulldogs. Owning a pitbull is illegal in the UK but other breeds such as the American bully are allowed.

It is not known which breed the dog is, but Tessa believes it falls into the bully category.

She says it pounced on her four-year-old pup, pinning her to the ground with its jaw locked around her neck.

At this point, the other dog's owner emerged and began hitting it to try to get it to release Evie.

Tessa said: "Once I saw the dog had slightly loosened its grip on Evie, I pulled her from its jaws, picked up my other dog and started running.

"I called my husband and told him to meet us at the vet."

The quick-thinking pet owner wrapped Evie in her scarf, keeping pressure on the wounds to quell the bleeding and keep her warm – an action the vet said may have saved her.

Evie suffered a dislocated jaw on one side and a fracture on the other, broken limbs and puncture wounds up her back and neck from a bite.

Medical staff said she needed surgery but were not qualified to provide the specific treatment.

She was taken to Lumpry Park, a specialist veterinary centre in Alton, Hampshire, where she stayed for six days.

Now back at home, Evie has stitches all over her body and metal plates binding her jaw together. She also has a limp and a bruised groin.

With the vet bills and time off work, Tessa estimates the incident has cost her about £10,000.

Evie was insured but the policy only covered costs up to £2,000.

Tessa added: "I know it's not about that but we haven't got that sort of money. Why should I be having to pay out when all of this could have been prevented?"

This isn't the first time Collier Street has seen dog-on-dog attacks. In May, another three cases of dog attacks came to light. One animal died from its injuries.

All of the attacks, including the one on Evie, are thought to have been by the same dog.

According to some there are unconfirmed reports the owner of the bully breed has been issued with a community protection order from Maidstone council which means their dogs must be on a short lead and muzzled the entire time when walked outside.

Tessa said: "Everyone's frightened to go out and walk their dogs and even taking the bins out people check to see who's around.

"When does it stop? Does a child have to be hurt for it to go further?"

Advice from the RSPCA states it is an offence for dogs to attack assistance dogs but it is not a criminal offence if a dog attacks a pet.

Other concerned residents from Collier Street also voiced their concerns.

One said: "We have been told several times, until the dog attacks someone, there is nothing they [the police] can do.

"People are literally in fear of this dog. It won't be long until it hurts another.

"It's not right, it's not fair and the community isn't getting any resolve on it."

Another said: "I wouldn't think of walking my dog in that area anymore.

"I have three dogs myself and am worried about their wellbeing.

"We're one step away from someone being attacked and who will be to blame if that happens?"

Police did attend the area and began investigating but have since said no criminal offences were identified.

However, Maidstone council says a criminal investigation is live, although it is unclear whether this relates to the wider spate of attacks.

A spokesman said: "The council takes responsible dog ownership very seriously and is currently working with the owner of the victim dog to gather the necessary information to facilitate an investigation.

"We have a variety of enforcement tools available to deal with animal-related incidents, most notably the dog control public spaces protection order, which requires persons in charge of a dog to keep them under proper control at all times."