A dog has reportedly attacked a young boy outside a shop in Weymouth.

At around 3pm on Saturday, police, including armed police, and an ambulance could be seen on the Littlemoor shopping centre off Louviers Road.

Witnesses at the scene say they heard a loud shout, and a dog biting a young boy, around six years old.

UPDATE: Police statement on boy injured in dog attack in Littlemoor Shopping Centre

Reportedly the boy was bitten in the hand and leg and was bleeding profusely.

One person who saw the incident says he heard the scream. He said: "I  looked around and there was a kid bleeding on the floor after being bitten by this terrible dog. It punctured his thigh and bit his left hand.

"He was bleeding profusely. It was a vicious dog. The kid could have been messed up way more than he was.

"We had police, an ambulance and armed police show up. They were not messing about. 

"All that little boy probably did was go up and pet him and he has been bit in the hand and leg.”

(Image: NQ)

Another person said: "Look how many kids are here, it could have been anyone's child."

One of the nearby shop staff said: "We heard the scream and saw the police come swarming in. 

"You don't want to see that happen to anyone, let alone a child."

One shop worker who was walking to work saw the man with his dog as he left the scene.

"As far as we know the child is ok, he was taken away in an ambulance."

Dorset Police have been asked for more information.