A community has thrown its weight behind the Telegraph & Argus Curb The Danger Dogs Campaign.

So far more than 800 signatures have been collected on a petition set up by the Safe (Safe Areas For Everyone) project.

The names will now be added to the T&A's petition calling on the Home Secretary, John Reid, to toughen up the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Elizabeth Helmich, founder and manager of the Safe Project, said: "We are fully supporting the T&A's campaign to help protect communities from dangerous dogs.

"We are delighted to see that the T&A has taken on this cause because it is a major problem, not only in Bradford but also nationally.

"The law is not working and needs to be changed urgently."

The petition was sparked after Sue Brown, 58, was attacked by a rottweiler, off its lead, in Heaton Woods, Heaton.

Miss Brown's right arm was badly injured in the attack and the man walking the dog left her at the scene offering no assistance.

"We were all shocked by the savage attack on Sue Brown," said Mrs Hellmich.

"I started getting numerous reports from people who were concerned about dangerous dogs telling me about the impact the dogs were having on their communities.

"We decided that something had to be done and launched the petition to try to get our concerns heard."

Mrs Hellmich, of Heaton, said apart from the change in law there was also a need to extend the Bradford Council's Dog Warden Service.

"We need to extend the service to make it more high-visibility," she said.

"Dog wardens should be patrolling the streets to deal with people's concerns about straying dogs and irresponsible dog owners.

"People have a right to feel they are protected from attacks from dogs and in its current form the law is not doing that."

The T&A has called for the following changes to the existing law: l a compulsory registration scheme for all dogs to help establish a register for dangerous dogs and enable them to be monitored l permanent compulsory micro-chipping of all dogs l anyone convicted of owning a dangerous dog should have a lifetime ban on owning a dog l the setting-up of an accurate register of owners and their dogs l the introduction of a fixed penalty notice for those who allow their dogs to stray Bradford Council has already pledged its support to the campaign.

Earlier this week a motion to lobby the Government to strengthen the Act received cross-party support from councillors who unanimously voted on it.

Councillor Mohammed Masood (Con, Heaton), who tabled the motion, said: "The scale of the Safe Project's petition demonstrates the strength of feeling on this matter.

"It is time to act now."

HOW YOU CAN SIGN OUR PETITION

You can back our Curb the Danger Dogs Campaign by signing our petition, which will be submitted to the Home Secretary, John Reid.

We want to collect as many signatures as possible in the next month to show Mr Reid the strength of feeling in the district about the inadequacies of the Dangerous Dogs Act and to put pressure on him to better protect the public against dog attacks by acting on the changes to the law we have outlined on the petition.

You can support our campaign simply by adding your own name on the petition online at our publication's website www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Or you can print out the petition and ask family, friends and colleagues to sign as well. The more signatures we receive, the stronger our message.

But whatever you can do will add weight to our campaign and help to make it clear to Mr Reid the strength of public feeling regarding the desperate need to change the current law.

Remember, you need to return copies of the petition to the T&A (the address is at the foot of the form) by Thursday, October 12.

We will then submit all the forms we receive to the Home Office.

Click here to sign the petition on-line

Or click here to download a copy of the petition to print out