Hi all - just after some advice! I haved moved to a small village and since have heard some very concerning tales regarding a dog in the village.
Apparently the owner walks it on a long line and whenever he meets another dog he has to wrap it around himself to get any sort of control. It has attacked several dogs with serious outcome when it has escaped from its owners house. Other people in the village have said that the owner is rather blasie about it all but no one has reported the incidences and the owner immediately foots the vets bills.

I have heard it is very good with people and that the owner acquired the dog from someone who kept it shut up all day.

Of course at the moment it is all hearsay so I can't comment first hand, but the problem is I am now worried to walk my dogs around the village and the fields nearby just in case it gets free. This means driving them to another location. What would you suggest?

I would suggest that you wait and see whilst taking appropriate precautions.  One never knows when one is going to meet up with an out of control/dangerous dog; all you can do is ensure that your own dogs are always under control and never allowed to bother anyone else.  If this dog is so terrible why have they not reported it to the dog warden, police etc etc? 

People only have themselves to blame if they take no action against unacceptable behaviour whether it be from dogs, people, etc etc apart from disgruntled chuntering between themselves.

As you say at the moment it is all hearsay and, IME, should, like stories in the newspaper, taken with a large pinch of salt until and unless proved otherwise!

One "hears" a lot of things, I prefer to make my judgements on actual events that I have experienced first hand :D

I certainly would not be held hostage to rumour!