DOG owners face tougher sanctions as new laws have given police and the council powers to issue fines of up to £20,000.

The new legislation, which came into force yesterday, will also allow authorities to compel owners to attend training classes, muzzle or leash their dogs in public places, have them microchipped, or repair unsafe fencing.

The powers will be authorised only after a complaint has been made about a specific dog to the council or police.

Lord de Mauley, animal welfare minister, said the new measures would compliment harsher prison sentences for people involved in dog attacks.

“Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families, which is why we are taking tough action against those who allow them to happen,” he said.

“Police and local authorities will now have more powers to demand that irresponsible dog owners take steps to prevent attacks before they occur.

“This is on top of the tougher prison sentences we introduced earlier this year for owners who allow their dogs to attack people and assistance dogs.”

Earlier this year changes to legislation were made to enable prosecution for a dog attack on private property, and maximum prison sentences were extended to 14 years, from two years, for a fatal dog attack, five years, from two years, for injury, and three years for an attack on an assistance dog.

But victims have said the new laws need to be taken seriously by enforcement officers for them to have any effect.

Charlene Mills, 26, was bitten in August while walking her own dog in a Gorse Hill park, after a Staffordshire bull terrier roamed loose with no owner or lead.

Husband Matt, 39, said: “For me this is a step in the right direction, but the police need to act faster after the report is made.

“My wife got attacked, as well as my dog, and my daughter was there at the time, but the police have never come back and updated us.

“You can bring in all the fines in the world, but things will go awry if they are not enforced.

“People use their mobile phones while driving and there is a fine for that. It doesn’t deter people.

“In this day and age the police are still the only people who have the power to make people stop and think.

“I think people should be more aware and report dog attacks, whether it is another animal or a person who has been involved in an incident.”

Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard, national policing lead for dangerous dogs, said: “The practitioners manual gives police officers and other practitioners clear guidance on how to best implement the legislative changes, especially the early preventative measures such as community protection notices, to help prevent more serious events occurring in the future.

“It also provides a platform to share good practice between police forces and partner agencies and it will form part of the ongoing training of Dog Legislation Officers across England and Wales.”