Three men have been taken into custody after their two dogs attacked a woman and killed her pet in Newport on Saturday night as breeding dogs for fighting is banned in Britain.

The woman was attacked by the dogs when she was walking near Waterloo Hotel at Pill. She was bitten on her arm while trying to protect her pets, but one of her pets died in the scuffle.

She was later treated at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Soon after the incident, the Gwent police moved in and arrested the three owners of the dogs which were involved in the dog-fight. Aged 23, 30 and 31, they have been arrested under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act, which came into effect in August 1991, after a six-year-old girl was attacked by dogs in Bradford.

Under the act, any dog of the type known as the pit bull terrier, or the Japanese "tosa" or of any type that is bred for fighting. It says no person shall breed, or breed from, a dog with such characteristics. Even sale or exchange of such dogs is prohibited and not even gifting them is allowed.