Thanks to Princess Anne’s appearance at court in 2002, dog bite law has an important place in English judicial history. The Princess Royal, answering charges under the Dangerous Dogs Act, was the first member of the Royal Family to be convicted of a criminal offence.

British dog bite law has come under fresh scrutiny after three people were bit by a rabid dog in north-east London. Britain has long been deemed ‘rabies free’ but if cases increase, this status, and the country’s dog bite law, may change.