THE children of a leading North East judge are to ask the region’s top police officer to return dogs seized over allegations they were out of control.

The two German Shepherds which share Judge Beatrice Bolton’s home in Northumberland were seized and put into kennels three weeks ago after being accused of attacking three different people in just over a year.

The plea for their return to the family home is made in a letter to Northumbria chief constable Sue Sim by the judge’s son, Henry Woodcock, 21, and foster daughter Nicky Carr-Neal, 23.

They are also asking Mrs Sim to personally examine her force’s handling of recent events involving the dogs, amid claims that police have taken a heavy-handed approach because of Judge Bolton’s lofty position in the justice system.

Mr Woodcock and Miss Carr-Neal say their mother has been left distraught and “torn apart” by the recent furore. They say her health has been affected and her future in the legal profession left uncertain.

In an interview with The Journal, they claimed she has been unfairly pilloried and portrayed as an irresponsible dog owner.

Judge Bolton was arrested by police three weeks ago after her German Shepherd, Georgina, allegedly attacked and bit a 22-year-old man near her Rothbury home. She was already under investigation after a postman claimed he was attacked by a dog near her house in April.

Last December she was convicted at Carlisle Crown Court of failing to control her dog after it attacked her neighbours’ son.

Georgina and another German Shepherd called Winston, who is owned by Miss Carr-Neal, have been taken away by police “to assure public safety”.