A heartbroken mother-of-three from Oxford has told how her family's pet dog was killed in a suspected hit and run accident.

Stacey Harries, 27, of Norman Smith Road, Greater Leys, was left devastated after her Staffordshire bull terrier Tyson was run over on Friday night.

Miss Harries, who had raised Tyson since he was a puppy, said: "He just got out and a car ran him over and then just sped off and did not stop.

"I was inside and heard the screeching of tyres and heard him crying. He was just left lying in the road.

"I rushed him to the vets. They x-rayed him and he was paralysed from the waist down. He died at 11am the next day.

"All my nine-year-old son Tyron, has done is cry all day. He is devastated and so am I."

On Saturday, Miss Harries, who had been present at Tyson's birth, made the difficult decision to have him put down.

She said: "The vet phoned and said there was no change and he was in pain. I just cuddled him in my arms, it was breaking my heart."

She said her other dog Stella, a three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier who had given birth to Tyson 13 months ago, was still pining for him.

Miss Harries added she had called the police, who told her to go to St Aldate's Police Station yesterday to report the incident.

Neighbour Davina Kimber, 45, was in her front garden when the accident happened about 7.15pm and said she saw a dark coloured car speed off.

The mother-of-two said: "This car was racing along the road. The next thing there was a big screech of brakes and the dog cried.

"I was in bits and I was crying and shaking. He was trying to move and he could not move.

"It was the worst thing I have ever seen. That could have been any of our kids on that road.

"The car was still there then. I thought he was going to get out but the next minute he just put his foot down. I heard the thud so there is no way he did not know he had done that.

"It wasn't his fault the dog ran out, but at the end of the day he should have stopped.

"Stacey's dad grabbed a quilt, wrapped the dog up and took him inside.

"He was paralysed, he couldn't get up, he was struggling."