Sir.–I want to express my concern about the massive rise in the incidents of criminal dog fighting in Basingstoke and how concerned we are that the authorities take the strongest action to tackle this problem.

I also know that responsible dog owners in Popley West have seen their pets attacked by other dogs, and this increase in attacks is a real concern.

The RSPCA has shocking national statistics that show twothirds of all dog fighting reports received by the RSPCA are now directly connected to youths using their dogs as weapons in streets and parks.

Sixty-six per cent of calls to the RSPCA about dog fighting last year related to instances where youths were mentioned fighting their animals in public places.

This compares with 37 per cent in 2007.

There is a real threat that these dog fighting gangs are putting local people and children at risk, and we do not want to see anyone attacked by a dog that has been or is being trained to be violent by one of these gangs.

The cruelty to the dogs which are forced to fight and the danger that poses to residents is so serious. As local councillors, we take the reports we are getting about this problem very seriously. The link with drugs and criminal gangs is also something we are very concerned about.

We need a full public debate on these issues and we need to give our community strength and support to resist these callous thugs bent on cruelty to dogs, illegal fighting and criminal activity.

–Cllr Paul Frankum, Labour Councillor for Popley West.