More than five people a week are being bitten by police dogs in London on average, according to figures released to the Guardian, while compensation payments have soared to nearly £250,000 over three years. Lawyers representing innocent victims of police dog attacks say the numbers are “troubling” and that the force needs to do more to control the animals.

In the past three years, 827 people have been bitten by Met police dogs, according to the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act. While the majority were suspects being pursued by the force, 53 were members of the public or police officers. It is not known how many of the suspects were found guilty of crimes or cleared.

The Met has paid out £243,363 in compensation to victims of dog bites over this period, more than double the compensation payments of £95,000 made during the previous three years.

In one case, police set a dog on the occupants of a car they had stopped. The dog lunged at the face of a passenger in the car then latched onto his thigh dragging him from the vehicle. The man needed surgery for his injuries and has problems with mobility and trauma as a result of the incident. He was not charged with any offence and is suing the Met for his injuries and the case is ongoing.

In a second case, a man suspected of stealing a motorbike was restrained on the ground by police officers. Although he was not in a position to run away, the officers set a police dog on him. It bit off a chunk of his ear. He received a five-figure sum in compensation although he was convicted of vehicle theft.

In a case in the Thames Valley police region, a woman who was not a suspect was in the street when a group of police with a dog walked past. Without warning or provocation, the dog bit her on the right thigh. She and her friends begged the officers to remove the dog but it bit her again. She was left bleeding and distressed and her friends took her to hospital. The victim had been a dog owner but was so traumatised by the incident she had to give her pet away. She received £11,000 in compensation.

Natalie Sedacca, of Hodge, Jones & Allen Solicitors, who represents several people who are suing the Metropolitan Police and other forces after being bitten by dogs, expressed concern about the large number of bites. “These numbers are troubling and suggest that the dogs aren’t being properly kept under control. It begs the question of whether police are using their powers appropriately.”

She said the police often paid compensation without admitting liability. “So someone who has been bitten by a dog may end up with a compensation payment but with nothing having been done to discipline the police officers handling the dogs or to change practice. Often, this kind of change and an apology is what victims really want instead of the current process which is very long and drawn out and damages public confidence in the police. There needs to be an effective system to hold the police to account.”

Bill Gatenby, 61, was bitten by a Northumberland Police dog in 2007. It took him five years to get compensation. He eventually received a five-figure sum but says he remains traumatised as a result of the incident where a police officer forced him to the ground and then a police dog attacked him causing a serious injury to his arm. He was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly but CCTV footage cleared him of any offence.

“I got a payout but I felt I didn’t get justice. I wanted the police to take responsibility for what happened to me but they didn’t do that. It still upsets me talking about it and I still get flashbacks. I would advise anyone who sees a police officer with a dog to get out of the way fast.”

An Met spokesman said every bite incident was investigated by a chief inspector: “Our police dogs are highly trained in line with the national police guidelines as set out by the Association of Chief Police Officers and training is ongoing throughout the dog’s life. Police training emphasises and uses the natural ‘drive’ of the animal and a key part of their training focuses on locating suspects. Once found they are trained to bark to indicate that they have located the suspect. There are circumstances where a dog may bite an officer if he is chasing a suspect and the officer does not stop as they cannot differentiate between a running suspect or a running police officer.”

In July, Irene Collins, 73, from Middlesbrough died after being bitten by a Cleveland Police dog. She had given officers permission to search her garden for a suspect they were pursuing.