THE 11-year-old schoolboy who had his ear torn off by a dog in a vicious attack on a Newport street will undergo surgery next week to his badly-injured arm.

Rakib Ali had his left ear torn off by the dog known as ‘Carly’ and also suffered bites to his neck, right hand and left arm when he was attacked by the dog on Wednesday, yards away from his home in Hawthorne Fosse, Somerton.

Rakib’s uncle, Mahbub Ali, said Rakib has suffered serious damage to his left arm.

The St Julians High School pupil is still on the high dependency unit of the children’s ward at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Mr Ali said the dog has torn one of the nerve systems in Rakib’s arm meaning he is unable to flex his hand or fingers. He said Rakib will undergo surgery on Monday morning to repair the nerve system.

Once this is completed, the consultant said they will then look to repair the ear by using skin from Rakib’s rib area. Mr Ali said the lower part of Rakib’s ear is still there.

A hospital spokesman said Rakib is in a comfortable condition and is doing quite well but is still being monitored closely.

The dog responsible for the attack and her puppies have since been destroyed.

The breed of the dog has not yet been properly identified. Police initially described it as Staffordshire type bull terrier but yesterday after further enquiries, confirmed it was a pit bull type terrier.

The family who were looking after the dog have denied it was a pit bull.

They say they are “devastated” by what has happened.

Raqia Hussain, 39, was given the dog and her puppies to look after on the night before the attack by a man who promised to give her one of the dog's puppies, her brother Saleem said.

Mr Hussain said the dog was kept in the wendy house at the back of the garden.

Ms Hussain fainted during the attack and was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport with shock.

She went to visit Rakib in hospital in Swansea on Thursday night.

Gwent Police enquiries are ongoing.