A young man fears he will be permanently disfigured after having his face ripped open by a dog at a barber shop on Friday.

Harry Goodwin, 22, said the attack happened as he went to stroke the dog, believed to be a Rottweiler cross, which was tied up in the bathroom at the rear of Traditional Barbers in High Street, Ewell.

The electrician said: "He bit my face. It was bleeding for ages. I was just really shocked and scared."

Friend Aaron Williams, 22, took Mr Goodwin to Epsom Hospital and he was transferred to St George’s Hospital in Tooting where he needed seven stitches to his lip.

Mr Goodwin, who expects to be badly scarred, said he has often stroked the black dog while having his haircut at the barbers over the past year and a half.

He said: "It’s normally friendly. I have always just seen it chilling out in the shop."

But now Mr Goodwin, from Lyncroft Gardens, believes action should be taken to protect small children who may be at risk.

He said: "I think something should be done because it could kill a little kid."

He said the barber, Tony Butterfield, had apologised to him and gave him back the money for his haircut.

Mr Goodwin’s father Terry said he rang Mr Butterfield on Saturday to ask what he would do following the attack.

But he said Mr Butterfield replied that he would do ‘nothing’ about his girlfriend’s dog other than keep it away from the barbers and his own children.

Your Local Guardian: Traditional Barbers in High Street, Ewell

Traditional Barbers in High Street, Ewell

Terry said: "I’m fearful for other people. I’m worried it’s going to happen again and next time to a young child."

He said his son’s lip was hanging off after the attack but: "It could have been much worse. I’m just sad it’s happened.

"I suppose although my son is now going to be scarred for life, in a way I’m thankful that it was not a young child that the dog attacked."

He said he reported the attack to the police, who said they could not take action because the incident took place on private premises.

He said: "I’m a bit upset by it to be honest because it just means you can have dangerous dogs as long as they are not in public places.

"People have access to them like children and nothing is done."

He said he had sought advice about how to claim compensation for his son.

Mr Williams, from Epsom, said he saw his friend come back into the shop after he had been bitten.

He said: "Everyone was a bit shocked. I have not seen Harry shocked like that before. There was a lot of blood.

"I just thought 'he's got to get to hospital'."

Mr Williams fetched his car and drove his friend with a cloth round his face to Epsom Hospital and he stayed with him until midnight at St George's.

He said: "When he was cleaned up you could see his lip was quite badly split open. You don't know how the scarring is going to turn out."

Mr Butterfield twice declined to explain to this newspaper what had happened at the shop or what action he is taking about the dog.