POWERS under the Dangerous Dogs Act could soon be granted to the animal warden after a town hall vote.

Following a full council meeting last night (Thursday) the authority is now set to carry out a feasibility study to decide whether it will be possible to grant these powers.

The decision comes as a total of 258 people were admitted to Whipps Cross University Hospital with dog bites in 2008/9 – an increase of nearly a fifth from 2006/7.

A shock RSPCA report also found that Waltham Forest is a hotspot for impromptu dog fighting.

With the proposed powers, under section 5 of the act, the warden would be able to take legal action against dog owners, whereas at present, the police deal with prosecutions.

Speaking at the meeting, cabinet member for community safety Cllr Afzal Akram said: “Residents are concerned about dogs being used as weapons.

“These 'weapon dogs' are a major priority as they are no less a killer than a gun or a knife.”

He added that vulnerable people have said they are scared to walk in the street as they are afraid of being attacked by dogs, which are often mistreated to make them more vicious.

A motion was also carried to provide regular out-of-hours patrols by the animal warden in order to enforce Dog Control Orders in the borough.

The orders are issued to owners who fail to keep their dogs under proper control, including fouling and not keeping them on a lead.

A report is expected to be made in the next three months.