THE news that dogs are being used as weapons will not surprise those Guardian readers who regularly walk around the borough’s streets.

The site of youths lurking in our parks and on corners with scary-looking bull terrier-type dogs is becoming ever more common.

According to RSPCA inspect Dawn Avery dogs are being used as “accessories” to make gang members appear more fearsome.

And of course, if one group of youths is “armed” with dogs, other groups feel the need to arm themselves as well.

Usually calm and friendly breeds, such as Staffordshire Bull Terriers, are trained to be aggressive, or bred with other dangerous types to create vicious animals, which are used to attack or intimidate rivals or, in some cases, innocent passers-by or cats.

This phenomenon, virtually unknown four years ago, causes a chain of suffering.

It is cruel to the dogs, who are often kept in poor conditions and put through tortuous exercises, such as being made to carry weights to build their muscles.

It unfair to passers-by, who may feel intimidated by the dogs when walking through local parks.

And there is a serious danger that a young person may be seriously injured by a dog.

So what is the solution?

Some Guardian readers have suggested re-introducing the dog licence to Britain but this would be difficult to enforce and would penalise the vast majority of harmless dog owners.

The Met deserves credit for recognising the problem and creating a Status Dogs unit and the multi-agency Barc programme, which includes educating dog owners about their responsibilities, is also encouraging.

But there is a case for tougher legislation too. Where a police officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting a person intends to use a dog as a weapon, they should be arrested and charged, as they would if they were carrying a knife.