The hunt is on for a dog that ran on to the pitch at Burgess Hill's Leylands Park and attacked a young footballer.

The dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, bit 16-year-old Wick player Nobby West during a pre-season friendly against Burgess Hill U-18s last weekend.

Nobby was substituted following the incident and afterwards he confessed to being in shock.

He said: "It scared the life out of me. I got a graze on my leg. It was a small dog, a fluffy thing but it was quite aggressive."

Wick boss Chris Webber added: "The dog really was a right little terrier. Nobby went down and I just thought he had got a knock.

"I called him off the pitch and as he came off he said to me 'That dog has bitten me'. I thought he was talking about one of their players."

As a result of the attack, all dogs have been banned from Leylands Park and club officials are trying to find out who owned the animal.

Club secretary Roger Puttick explained: "No dogs will be allowed into the ground anymore even if they are on leads. In this case apparently the dog had a lead on.

"It was reported to the referee at half-time but when we went to investigate the owner had gone.

"At the interval the heavens opened and most of the witnesses disappeared quickly. The people from Wick didn't recognise the woman seen with the dog and the referee, who is the first team physio for Burgess Hill, didn't recognise her either. If we find out who she is, we will take action."

Chris Webber insisted he would not lobby the Sussex FA to press charges. He said: "I will not be reporting the matter to the Sussex FA. I did think about it, but it was only a friendly and Nobby is ok."

The game was abandoned due to bad weather with the scores deadlocked at 2-2.

Sussex FA chief executive Ken Benham said: "The club should insist that all dogs are kept on a lead and under control at all times.

"There is no restriction on dogs going into the ground but they must behave."