A mother whose neighbour helped prise open the jaws of a bulldog as it attacked her two toddler sons has told of her relief as the pair both recovered in hospital. The boys, aged two and three, are being treated for puncture wounds and cuts to their arms and legs in hospital and having surgery to close and stitch their wounds.

The animal, a six-month-old American bulldog named Oakley, had reportedly never shown any signs of aggression until it exploded in fury at 4pm on Thursday in the back garden of their home in Prescot, Merseyside. The boys' mother, who did not wish to be named, said they were expected to make a “full recovery” and have returned to being their “normal cheeky selves” in hospital. The two infants were playing in the garden in soaring hot temperatures on Thursday – the hottest May 1 on record - when Oakley grabbed the older boy without warning.

As the adults in the house raced to prise his jaws open to release the three-year-old, the snarling beast turned and grabbed the younger boy before it was hauled away. A neighbour then managed to keep the dog from grabbing the boy's face and neck, before the children were moved safely inside.

Witnesses said the dog had been with the family since it was about eight or nine weeks old. The mother thanked the neighbour who intervened, adding were it not for her “I might not have a son”. She said her older child had been asking about Oakley, who had been handed over to police to be put down. She said: “We're not coping. Not only are we dealing with the two kids, we're also grieving for the family dog."

However, she said the children seemed to be dealing with the attack well.

She added: “They're still the same kids, they're still their same cheeky, attitude-y little selves. The way they are in themselves, you wouldn't know anything had happened, but of course it has.”

Cn Insp Phil Thompson, from Merseyside Police, called the attack a “shocking incident”.

“We are in the very early stages of investigating this incident and the dog has been seized at the home,” he said.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the breed of the dog and identify the owner.”