A TOTAL of 40 people have been treated for dog bites at Warrington Hospital in the past year, according to latest figures.

The data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre between February 2013 and January 2014 found Warrington’s total was higher than Halton, which recorded 26 dog bites.

A hospital spokesman said: “We haven’t seen a major increase in attendances with animal bites at our accident and emergency department at Warrington and our minor injuries unit at Halton Hospital over the last year.

“If bitten clean the wound under a tap for 30 seconds before letting it bleed for a minute to get rid of any saliva and bacteria.

“You should then apply pressure to the cut to stop it from bleeding and make a decision to attend the minor injuries unit or the accident and emergency depending on the severity of the bite.

“Cat bites, although more superficial than those of a dog, are more likely to lead to infection.”