A toddler was still in intensive care today after being savaged by his uncle's huge Rottweiler.

But tiny 21-month-old Donte Brown may not have been alive if it had not been for the bravery of former Policeman Mr. Mike Kelly.

Mr. Kelly, 60, of Lighthouse Lane, leapt to help the child and punched and kicked the dog to free Donte from its jaws.

And he spoke today of his horror when he realised the Rottweiler was savaging the little boy.

Yorkshireman Mr. Kelly drew on 25 years experience in the Bermuda Police Force to advise Donte's aunt how to keep him breathing as they rushed to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Donte was attacked by the dog while he and his aunt were walking along St.

Anne's Road, near to their the aunt's home, in Southampton. The Rottweiler was one of two dogs they were walking.

Mr. Kelly said: "I got in my van and I was driving along. As I got near to the entrance to the Lighthouse I could hear someone screaming.

"I could see the woman lying on the ground with the dog apparently biting her arm. It was a monstrous dog. I am about 200 pounds and this dog was not giving me much. He must have been between 150 to 200. And the baby was very small.'' Mr. Kelly said he did not have time to think about whether he should help or not, he just jumped out his van.

He said: "I ran over and I could see the woman was screaming for help. As I approached the dog lifted its head and I could see the baby was in the dog's mouth. It was shaking him about.

"The only thing I could think of was getting this kid out of the dog's mouth.

I thumped it with my fist in between the eyes and kicked it in the neck.

"It dropped the baby so I grabbed him and put him in my van and his aunt climbed in as well. The dog appeared to be dazed.'' Mr. Kelly drove away and the dog with its mouth covered in blood followed them for a way before going back to its home.

Donte had suffered serious wounds to his head, arms and legs. In fact part of his scalp was almost hanging off and he had a puncture wound to his head.

Mr. Kelly said: "I tried to drive as quickly as possible to the hospital -- the kid was crying in his aunt's arms. At one point he stopped crying, I think he must have been in shock.

"The aunt was panicking but I told her to hold his nose and pull down his jaw and breath into his mouth.

"He started crying again. I told her that if he was crying it meant he was breathing.'' Donte spent hours in surgery as doctors tried to repair the damage the dog had caused. It is believed he has had to have more than 100 stitches in the wounds.

Mr. Kelly said: "I think the whole thing only affected me when I was returning home from the hospital.'' Formerly from Redcar in Yorkshire, Mr. Kelly came to Bermuda in 1956. He was a Police officer, rising to the rank of sergeant, and with some time in CID. He retired in 1981.

Since then Mr. Kelly has been involved in designing kitchens and is well known for his work on the Island.

The Rottweiler belongs to Donte's uncle Mr. Bryant Richards, a counsellor for Drug Addiction Services.

Dog Control Officer Mr. Shinah Simons confirmed today that Mr. Richards had requested that the dog be destroyed. Mr. Simons said an assessment would have to be carried out before the dog was put down.

LOCAL HERO -- Mr. Mike Kelly, who saved 21-month-old Donte Brown from the jaws of a huge Rottweiler, said yesterday: "I could see the baby was in the dog's mouth. It was shaking him about.''