Compulsory microchipping of all dogs and the withdrawal of legal protection over dog attacks on private property have been welcomed by those who have campaigned along with the Telegraph & Argus for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The Government unveiled a crackdown yesterday that would see dog owners face a £500 fine if they refuse to microchip their animal.

Ministers dumped plans to order the chipping of newborn puppies only, opting instead to require all dogs to have the chip inserted by April 2016.

The switch followed an offer by the Dogs Trust charity to distribute free microchips for vets and local councils to carry out the painless procedure, but it will still be up to surgeries and town halls to decide whether to impose a charge for inserting the chip.

Meanwhile, a loophole will be closed that allowed dog owners whose animals attack people on private property to escape prosecution.

In the last year, more than 3,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs, with 70 per cent of these on private property, Defra said.

The updates come six years after the Tele-graph & Argus petition to the Government calling for tougher laws as part of our Curb The Danger Dogs campaign, which also called for microchipping so dog owners could be traced.

That came years after six-year-old Rukhsana Khan, from Manningham, was left with horrific injuries after being mauled by a pit bull terrier.

Her plight led to the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Dangerous dog campaigner Elizabeth Hellmich, of Bradford’s Safe project, who collected more than 1,000 names on the T&A petition, welcomed the latest news.

“It has taken a long time, but is certainly worth it and I know several people who have been bitten by animals on private land,” she said. “It affected one lady so badly that she actually moved out of the area. I am really pleased that this has come in.”