A pensioner has told how a reckless cyclist ran over her dog, fled the scene and left her with a £1,300 vet bill.

Justine Gill was walking in Swalecliffe, near Whitstable, when she heard “screaming” before turning to see her Chihuahua, called Bonnie, “squirming on the ground in terrible pain”.

But rather than showing any concern for the seven-year-old dog, the man in his 20s pedalled away from the scene.

Mrs Gill, 63, scooped Bonnie up and, fearing her pet’s spine had been broken, rushed to the vet.

The retired English teacher had been walking her three dogs - two Chihuahuas and a Jack Russell-cross - on Thursday morning when the incident occurred.

“I heard one of my dogs screaming in pain,” she said.

“I turned around to see my white Chihuahua – who is about three kilos – squirming on the ground in terrible pain.”

Mrs Gill asked the cyclist why he had not slowed down and another man put his hand on the bike’s handlebars, also raising concerns about his speed.

But within seconds, the rider fled.

“I didn’t see what happened so the man came up to me telling me the cyclist ran over her back with both wheels,” Mrs Gill added.

Mrs Gill had been on the Oyster Bay Trail – a footpath surrounding the outskirts of an area which is subject to a Public Spaces Protection Order at the Long Rock Nature Reserve.

In this area, dogs must be kept on a lead or owners face being fined £100.

A sign at Long Rock asks cyclists to “please walk your bike on footpaths”.

However, the public footpath Mrs Gill was walking along is also a designated cyclepath.

“I am a very moderate person and not someone who swears at people or who is baying for blood,” she said.

“But it struck me the man had clearly injured my dog and he couldn’t stop for more than 10 seconds.”

Mrs Gill took the injured Chihuahua to the vet and says poor Bonnie went into shock.

“They had her for the whole day and did X-rays checking for ruptured organs or a broken spine,” she added.

“She was put on oxygen and medication for shock.

“I collected her at 6.30pm and the bill was £1,300. I’m not insured which is my own choice so I paid it.

“But I really felt the person who did this took no responsibility and more importantly, took no care.

“He didn’t seem concerned he had hurt an animal.”

Mrs Gill says she will not be reporting the incident to police and is not seeking for the cyclist to cover the vet bill.