A cab driver has suffered serious injuries after being mauled and “dragged down the street” by a pit bull that was then shot dead by firearm officers.

The attack took place in Chelmsford Avenue, Collier Row, at about 6pm last night.

The 41-year-old minicab driver was attacked in the street before being taken to hospital where he was treated for leg injuries.

One witness, who does not wish to be named, said it was “like watching [crime television show] CSI.”

They said: “I heard a commotion, I thought it was a couple arguing. I had a look and there was a man being dragged along by a dog.

“People were shouting. Eventually the dog let go but the cab driver had lost a hell of a lot of blood. He was taken into a nearby house and then the ambulance came and took him to hospital.”

Police were called to the scene along with firearms teams who “sprayed the dog” before it was later shot and killed in a front garden.

The witness added: “I’d stopped watching but I heard four or five gunshots. The noise was enough to know what had happened.”

Police are trying to trace the dog’s owner.

Did you witness the attack? Do you know the driver? Contact Sam Gelder on 020 8477 3810 or email sam.gelder@archant.co.uk