A FISHERMAN had his rod stolen while he went to the aid of a man who had been knocked over by a dog.

Tony McCloskey, 44, was fishing on the River Stour at Millhams Nature Reserve on Thursday afternoon when the accident happened.

Tony, who lives nearby at High Howe, said: “I was walking down towards the point where the bank finishes and I saw him and there were a couple of dogs and a woman there.

“The dogs just flattened him. A couple of minutes later the woman came up to me asking for help.

“He was pouring blood out of his arm. I am ex-forces so I have a bit of medical training. I threw my rod down and went to help.

“I applied direct pressure to the cut, while asking him to apply indirect pressure to his elbow to help stop the bleeding. The woman rang the ambulance and I walked him up to the top because the ambulance didn’t know where we were.

“When I got back someone had walked off with my fishing rod and reel. I’m disgusted that someone would do that while I was off helping someone.”

Tony said the rod was worth around £100 and he reported the theft to the police.

Police confirmed a report of the theft had been made.

The ambulance service said they were called to the scene at 3.30pm and treated a man in his 30s for an arm injury. He was taken to Poole Hospital .