A WOMAN has been banned from keeping dogs for five years after her Rottweilers went on a 60-minute rampage round Horwich, attacking three people and injuring two dogs.

Sharman Gibson, aged 44, was sentenced to 150 hours community punishment and ordered to pay a total of £4,815.38 after her two Rottweilers escaped and terrorised neighbours.

Gibson pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to control the dogs in a public place.

Bolton Magistrates ordered that the two dogs should be re-homed and should always be made to wear a muzzle and be kept on a lead when out in public.

The court heard that on January 12 the dogs, Radar and Shakira, escaped out of Gibson's house in Bottom o'th' Moor, Horwich, while she was asleep upstairs.

It is believed the lock on Gibson's new PVC front door was faulty -- allowing the dogs to slip out unnoticed.

The two dogs then went on the 60-minute rampage around the street.

Audrey Tippings was leaving a friend's house in Bottom o'th' Moor at 8.50am when the two dogs lunged towards her and bit her right arm. Shaken and bleeding, Ms Tipping felt unable to leave her friend's house for an hour.

Ten minutes later local resident Sheila Boocock saw the two Rottweilers attacking her pet poodle in her front garden.

She dashed outside to try and save her pet and was bitten on her right leg by the Rottweilers. Trembling and shaking, she eventually managed to pull her dog into the safety of her conservatory. Within 30 minutes, the Rottweilers had started following postman Rodney Gillespie. One dog jumped up and clamped his arm in its mouth, drawing blood.

The postman managed to get away by hitting the dog with grey tubing he spotted in a skip. He then managed to escape into a house when a resident saw what was happening.

At that point animal warden Susan Cleary arrived on the scene but had to quickly dash into a resident's house, after she saw the two dogs emerging towards her from behind vehicles. The dogs were so close behind her she could feel their breath on her legs.

Minutes later the Rottweilers attacked a Springer Spaniel called Sally which was being taken for a walk by its owner Lillian Leatham.

The spaniel managed to run away but needed more than £500 worth of veterinary treatment after the attack. Patrick Newell, defending, said as soon as Gibson was informed her pets had escaped she and her partner immediately ran out to retrieve the animals.

Chairman of the Bench Mrs Penny Mather said: "You had two large unsupervised dogs: a six-year-old who only knew its name and could sit and a 20-month-old who only knew how to sit. Both required basic training.

"There were five incidents within an hour."

Mr Newell said Gibson was "deeply sorry" for what had happened in what he described as a "one-off incident."

He said animals were the focal point of Gibson's life. She owned eight horses and had spent four years working for Guide Dogs for the Blind. A former breeder of German Shepherd dogs, Gibson at one stage had 28 dogs under her control -- and there had never been problems before.

The Rottweilers have been kept in kennels by Bolton Council since January.

Gibson was ordered to pay £780 court costs, kennel costs of £3,100, a £585 vet's bill for the injured springer spaniel and £350 in compensation.

Sally Wolstencroft, environmental, education and enforcement manager for Bolton Council said: "The council brought this prosecution because we will not tolerate people who don't control their dogs in a proper fashion.

"We are determined to do everything we can to create a safe environment where people can go about their daily business in safety."

Speaking after the case Dog Control Officer Jenny Taylor said: "This case sends out a very positive message to irresponsible dog owners.

" This was an extremely serious incident where people were injured and frightened while they were going about their daily business."

Owners of the 12 year-old spaniel, Craig and Lilian Leatham said today they are still traumatised by the whole event.

Craig Leatham, who has owned Sally 12 years, said: "At one point I thought Sally wouldn't pull through but she has now made a physical recovery from her appalling injuries.

"She was in a lot of pain and had a hole in her back the size of my palm and many stitches.

" But although she has recovered she is now very nervous."