A mum has praised her dog for saving her life by biting the leg of a man - who leaped on her and held a knife to her throat.

Amy Edmondson, 30, was taking her beloved pooch Star - a Staffordshire bull terrier cross Jack Russell cross Pitbull - for a late-night walk.

She says during the stroll a man and a woman approached her for directions.

But when Amy, from Southend, turned to point them in the direction of where they were looking for, the man leaped on her back and wrestled her to the ground, holding a knife to her throat.

Amy said she was left lying on the ground, pinned down by the man, for what "felt like forever", and was left fearing her nine-year-old son Riley would be left without a mum.

But when Amy let go of Star's lead, she was shocked by what her "loving little dog" did next - launching at Amy's attacker and biting his leg.

Amy said Star "refused" to let go - and she was able to get the man off her by promising that if he let her go, she would call Star off.

The pair of thugs then ran for it - leaving a very shaken Amy hurrying back inside her flat with Star.

She said: "Star 100 per cent saved my life. I just kept thinking, I'm going to die, there's no way to get this bloke off me.

"It was actually really out of character for her - she's the most loving little dog usually, she would lick anyone to death.

"I was gobsmacked that she did what she did - but so grateful to her. She got an extra big dinner and lots of extra cuddles that night."

Amy said she was just outside her block of flats when the attack took place at around 11.30pm last Monday.

Chelmsford Weekly News:

She said: "We were just coming back from a dog walk, when a man and a woman approached and they were asking me where Southchurch was.

"I turned around and pointed in the right direction, and the man just jumped on my back, pushing me to the ground and held a knife to my throat.

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"They kept saying give me your money, where’s your money, we need your money.

"I was on the floor for what felt like forever. But then I let go of my dog’s lead and she just jumped on him and started biting his leg.

"She wouldn't let go. The woman ran off at that point, and the bloke was saying, 'Get this f***ing dog off me'.

"I told him he needed to get off of me so I could get my dog off of him. After that he obviously panicked and ran away too."

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Amy admitted she feared for the worse during the attack.

She added: "All I was thinking was that my son was going to grow up without a mum and my dog was going to be without me.

"Star is my little lifesaver. Without her I wouldn’t be here. She’s the most loving dog you will meet. I have never seen her like that but it just shows she was protecting me."