A dog owner from Truro has been told to muzzle his pet or it will be destroyed after it was alleged to have bitten a man and a little girl.

Peter Mitchell told magistrates his 14 year-old Alsatian-cross, Bear, gave him confidence about his home security and it would be unfair to muzzle him, when he appeared at Truro Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Mitchell, 64, of Merrifield Close, said the the animal was “an old man” and “a very good dog”, and was his companion, but police had applied for a control order as they considered him dangerous.

The court heard the dog had bitten the arm of one of Mitchell’s neighbours in February, and had bitten a little girl in August.

Mitchell denied that the neighbour had been bitten. He said: “It did not happen. Bear just pulled on his lead but made no contact with the man,” adding that there had been a neighbourly dispute between them and the other man was lying.

He said he did not know about the second allegation as the dog had been tied up outside at the time and he did not see what might have happened.

Christopher Rendell, on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police, applied for an order that the dog, which was dangerous and not kept under proper control, should in future be properly controlled or destroyed. He asked for it to be muzzled at all times, whether on or off the lead, when in a public place.

Mitchell did not contest the application, although at first he said that muzzling Bear would not be fair on him when they were out walking in the woods.

He told magistrates that his home had been burgled once, and the dog was needed because without him they did not feel safe in the house. He said the animal had had “issues” when he first took him on, but was different now. It was however awkward for him to settle down because there was a skate board area opposite the house and children would sometimes tease him.

Magistrates agreed to the order being made.