It is deeply disturbing to learn that dog attacks in Bradford resulting in hospital treatment are officially happening at a rate of more than one per week – with the true figure likely to be higher still.

And not surprisingly, it is often the most vulnerable members of society who are suffering – in 2007/8, 19 children under ten years old were injured in this way.

It is likely that many of the attacks were a result of owners allowing pets to roam free or leaving them unsupervised around children.

It is also a fair bet that a large proportion of the animals will never have been properly trained, while some cases will have involved breeds of dogs which are, if not illegal, totally inappropriate for a domestic environment.

Bad dog owners are not likely to suddenly realise the error of their ways, even though they may be putting their loved ones at risk.

It is, therefore, up to the authorities to make sure people face up to their responsibilities if they take on an animal, or face the consequences.

This newspaper realised this when it launched its Curb the Danger Dogs Campaign.

We called for all dogs to be compulsorily registered and micro-chipped, and life bans on ownership for anyone convicted of having a dangerous dog.

The Government, though, said the law was strong enough as it stood, and instead promised a crackdown with police enforcing existing legislation. These figures, coupled with the experience of doctors, would suggest that more needs to be done.

If they cannot sort out this issue soon, perhaps they should look again at our ideas – and the thousands of readers’ names in support of them.