Tougher sentences must be handed to dog owners who use their pets as dangerous weapons, according to London's deputy mayor for policing.
Kit Malthouse, who hosted a City Hall summit last week to discuss the growing problem of "status" and "weapon" dogs in the capital, said appropriate punishments were needed to deal with the rising problem, sometimes linked to gangs and serious crime.
Lambeth, which has been identified as one of the main problem areas for dangerous dogs, was one of the borough's to attend the summit.
Mr Malthouse said: "There is a new weapon of intimidation terrorising the streets of London.
"Using a weapon dog is no different to using a gun or a knife to attack, maim and even kill."
He said looking at existing legislation to see where changes could be brought in that could have a lasting impact on the problem.
Lambeth Council is considering compulsory microchipping of dogs on estates as one option to help keep track of dangerous dog owners and clamp down on people breeding illegal types of dog.
Figures show the number of pit bull dogs seized by the police in London shot up by 65 per cent in the last year, while court cases involving dangerous dog offences rose by 50 per cent between 2006 and 2007.
In the last five years, London's hospitals have seen admissions for dog bites increase by 79 per cent, compared to 43 per cent nationally.
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