Pitbull bites bus worker aiding kids

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A Tauranga bus company worker was mauled as he tried to protect school children from an aggressive pitbull.

The attack, on Monday morning, came shortly after a Bayline Coaches driver saw the dog acting aggressively as he stopped to pick up a group of six primary school children.

He phoned Tauranga City Council's animal services department and kept the bus door closed to protect the children on board.

When company supervisor Charles Wood, 61, arrived and tried to intervene, the dog attacked and bit his lower right leg.

A woman took the children at the bus stop into her car, but the dog followed them, forcing them to leave the vehicle again.

The dog was then trapped in the vehicle until animal services officers arrived and collected it.

Mr Wood was taken to Tauranga Hospital and had surgery yesterday morning.

A week earlier, the same dog had to be lured off the bus using children's sandwiches and a broom. It disappeared before officers could find it.

Bayline Coaches general manager Jeanette Proctor said the same driver again had to keep his young passengers calm on Monday.

"Our supervisor went there with the full intention of keeping the kids safe and trying to remove them from any potential danger, while not realising that he himself was in a lot of danger."

Mr Wood was in "good spirits" last night and was helping the council with its investigation.