‘Rottweiler clamped his jaws around my dog for 10 minutes’.

A vicious rottweiler attack near a Lincoln school left another dog fighting for its life.

David Johnson was walking his six-month-old cocker spaniel on a grassy area near Mount Street Infant And Nursery School when the attack took place.

“Basically this great, big rottweiler clamped his jaws around my dog, Toby,” explained Mr Johnson, a 50-year-old graphic designer from the Newport area of Lincoln.

“This dog had its jaws around my dog’s face for at least 10 minutes. I was hitting it and fighting it, trying to get it to let go.

“A woman who lived nearby came to help and we even tried throwing a bucket of water over it to set Toby free.

“The girl with the dog obviously wasn’t in control of it. It should have been muzzled.

“My dog was screaming and yelping and I felt like I was watching him die before my eyes.

“I eventually managed to get him free and rushed him to the vet.

“He stayed overnight. I didn’t expect him to make it, but he’s recovering now and getting better by the day.

“It could just have easily have happened to a toddler.”

“Dogs who aren’t being controlled properly are a danger – especially close to schools.

“Toby barely managed to survive, and I doubt a young child would have fared any better.”

Superintendent Keith Owen, of the Operations Support Department of Lincolnshire Police, said that dog owners should be responsible and keep control of their dogs in all circumstances.

He said: “Owners should know whether their dogs are prone to biting or fighting, and if so, muzzle them.

“Only a minority of dogs are troublesome and some owners need to be aware of the effect their dogs have on other people and take sensible precautions.

"This will minimise the potential for dogs to cause alarm or harm to members of the public and other animals.”

It is a criminal offence, under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

A dog is regarded as dangerously out of control under the Act if there are grounds for suspecting that it will injure a person, whether or not it actually does so.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Echo asked Lincolnshire Police for the number of dogs seized under the Act, however, the police responded saying it did not hold this information.

Anyone with information on the dog attack should call Lincolnshire Police on (01522) 882222.

The Collective @ Kind.

I know I tend to go on about it a lot, but The Collective really is continuing to go from strength to strength, and is undoubtedly the beating heart of Lincolnshire’s local music scene.

For those who don’t know by now, The Collective is held at Kind bar in Lincoln every Tuesday evening, and features local, like-minded musicians performing to an audience of like-minded fans.

Unfortunately, I missed opening act Mute, and arrived part-way through singer Stefanie-Kate Bennett.

Bennett got behind the keys early on in the night, showcasing her impressive vocal range alongside some delicate arrangements, altogether delivering a tenderly impassioned performance which prompted a gentleman from the audience to give her a tenner for some reason.

Acoustic-folk outfit His FLying Machine were up next, led by principal songwriter Rich Whiston. On record, His Flying Machine have a fullness which doesn’t quite translate as well to the stage. However, the delicacy of the arrangements still shone through, wearing their apparent influences from Americana bands such as Calexico and The Decemberists on their sleeves.

Every week, we seem to get a surprisingly impressive set from an artist blatantly inspired by former Million Dead singer Frank Turner – this week, that accolade went to acoustic guitarist Adam Jewitt, who played a mix of original material and ironically structured covers. There’s something familiar about Jewitt’s vocals and arrangements respectively, but, much to his credit, it’s hard to place. Instead, the audience were welcomed in to Jewitt’s world with an affirming and refreshing comfort.

Headlining The Collective on this occasion was local classical-guitar wonder-kid Elliott Morris.

Shut your eyes, and you’ll mistakenly believe you’re listening to a full, four-piece band. Morris has that Newton Falkner gimmick going on... you know, when you use the whole guitar to create sound slapping different parts of the neck to introduce rhythm. Morris has crafted a selection of enjoyable pop songs, even if they do seem slightly rehearsed and adolescent at times. Unfortunately, towards the end of his set he invited a backing singer to the stage, and all of a sudden things became a little too juvenile, and childish on-stage antics ruined an otherwise sterling performance.

By George - chameleon of a pop star is set to wow town's fans.

One of the most colourful and controversial singers of the 1980s is to perform in Lincoln.

Boy George, best known as a member of 1980s band Culture Club, will take to the stage at the Theatre Royal.

The pop star may not have produced a hit for years, but a DJing career and scrapes with the law have kept him in the public eye.

He will perform in Lincoln on April 25 as part of a whistle-stop tour of the country.

The tour, dubbed Up Close And Personal: Live In Concert, will also see the singer play dates in London, Manchester and Brighton.

There will even be time for a performance at The Embassy in Skegness on April 23.

George’s publicists say he will be singing live, acoustic and unplugged, playing sets featuring solo material, Culture Club tracks, as well as new songs and cover versions.

Boy George’s performance at the Theatre Royal is part of the theatre’s spring and summer programme.

Verity Walker, a spokesman for the pop star, said that Boy George was excited to be getting back out on the road again.

“George has been preparing for this tour and is looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience,” she said.

“This is a singer who needs little introduction.

“He was the front man of one of the country’s biggest exports in recent years.

“He has constantly reinvented himself and remains one of the world’s most recognisable iconic figures.”

Joseph Merriman, a 23-year-old student from Lincoln who is a big Boy George fan, cannot wait to see the singer in the flesh later in the year.

“I can’t believe Boy George is going to be playing in Lincoln,” he said.

“I’m a big fan of the 1980s new romantic movement and Boy George with Culture Club was a big part of that.

“He’s responsible for some timeless classics such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

“He’s not had the easiest of careers, but it’s good to see he’s back out touring again.”

The tour will be to promote George’s latest single, Amazing Grace, which is released on Monday, March 22 by label Mn2S.

A spokesman for the label said: “It’s really great to be releasing music from such a seminal and iconic artist.

“We’ve never experienced such a buzz on a single before.”

To date, Boy George has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and has had top ten hits in every continent.

For ticket information, call the Theatre Royal box office on (01522) 519999.