The Telegraph & Argus has repeatedly called for tighter controls on dogs, ever since the horrific attack on Rukhsana Khan in Bradford almost two decades ago.

In 2006, we launched our Curb The Danger Dogs campaign, asking the Government to toughen up the act that was brought in following the 1991 attack on Rukhsana.

One of the moves we campaigned for was the compulsory micro-chipping of all dogs, and it is good to see the Government finally moving forward with those concerns.

While the majority of pet dogs do deserve their sobriquet as “man’s best friend”, there will always be a small number of breeds which will never be suitable to have as household pets, much less roaming the streets.

The responsibilities do, of course, lie with the owners, but unfortunately there are some dog owners who simply do not fulfil their commitments.

Too often, dogs are seen as some kind of status symbol or accessory, and unfortunately it is the more dangerous breeds which seem to have the most misguided credibility.

While micro-chipping and compulsory insurance might not, in the short term, stop dogs directly attacking people, such measures will hopefully make the owners more accountable and, eventually, make the ownership of dangerous dogs a less and less attractive proposition.