A dog bite has left a jewellery maker and furniture restorer unable to work after she was attacked when delivering UKIP leaflets in Deal.

Self-employed Joanne Stokes, from Ash, has received good wishes from UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the local party after the dog chomped on her fingers and pulled her arm through the letterbox of a house in St Patrick's Road.

Now the former Walmer School pupil plans to sue the owner for loss of earnings because she is not insured or covered under UKIP's insurance policy.

The 34-year-old said: "The dog was silent so there was no warning.

"It grabbed and chomped on my fingers about five times and pulled my hand through the letterbox as far as my forearm."

Shocked from the attack, Miss Stokes called her father - who took her to the minor injuries unit at Deal Hospital where she had to have a tetanus shot.

Two weeks later, her forearm is still bruised and her fingers are numb and bandaged.

"It grabbed and chomped on my fingers about five times..." - victim Joanne Stokes

Miss Stokes's company, Millieannvegas designs, makes and supplies hand-made jewellery and up-cycled furniture to shops around east Kent.

She also professionally paints cupboards and tables for the Deal High Street retailer Beach.

But with limited use of her bandaged fingers, she cannot earn the cash she relies on.

"I'm self employed and don't have insurance," she added.

Miss Stokes is urging owners to be responsible and fix cages to letter boxes, or put up Beware of the Dog signs.

"It could have been a young paper boy or an elderly neighbour," she added.

In a letter to Miss Stokes, UKIP national deputy treasurer Hugh Williams said: "I would like to add my concern and good wishes to you following such a nasty incident.

"I myself have often had narrow escapes from such attacks (when delivering for UKIP) – so I feel that I can probably imagine the scenario.

"But to be actually bitten, and bitten badly, must have given you a very unpleasant shock, not to mention the pain and inconvenience. And especially when you were working for such a noble and patriotic cause."

She praised Peter Ripley, the Dover and Deal UKIP deputy chairman, for his support.

"He has phoned regularly to make sure I'm OK," she said.