The number of prosecutions under the Dangerous Dogs Act has hit its highest level in five years in the East of England, the BBC has found.
More than 1,200 offences were recorded in 2014, according to figures obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Offences in Essex rose each year from 2011 to 2014, up to a high of 326.
The BBC has learned no official records are kept in relation to all hospital admissions involving injuries caused by dogs.
The total number of offences has risen each year since 2011 in the East, reaching 1,216 in 2014.