Dog walkers fight back against beach leash surveillance
DOG walkers are being put under surveillance on one of Wales’ beaches. A professional security company has been hired to monitor dog owners on a beach in Llandudno.
The pet owners are being followed and captured on camera when they stroll across the beach with their dogs.
Security officers are keeping a watchful eye as they walk through the sand dunes to ensure dogs are kept on leashes in designated areas.
Conwy council has hired a company called Kingdom Security to carry out the checks.
Over the past two years, 492 fixed-penalty notices have been issued in the county relating to dog orders, but 65 of these have also later been withdrawn.
Anne France, 72, is one Llandudno resident who had a penalty overturned. The pensioner regularly takes her disabled neighbour’s dog, Sandy, out for walks, but the favour landed her an appearance at magistrates’ court when she refused to pay a £75 fixed penalty from Kingdom Security last year.
Ms France paid one fine for not having Sandy on a lead, but she challenged the order when she was issued a second fine.
When the incident took place last year, Ms France claimed she didn’t recognise the officer when he stopped her again.
She told the Daily Post he looked “completely different” as he approached her for the second time.
Ms France said: “He was in our area where the dogs can play and he was watching me for about 20 minutes. I didn’t know who he was or why he was staring at me and I hadn’t recognised him. I held the lead up four times to show him Sandy was under control. He came up and said I had only just put her on the lead. I felt intimidated by him.”
But some residents support the issuing of dog control orders.
Malcolm Bleasdale, 72, said “something needs to be done” to monitor the issue.
The Dwygyfylchi resident, who now has two dogs, feels dog owners need to be responsible when they take their pets out for walks.
Mr Bleasdale said: “There is nothing worse than a child stepping in dog’s mess when they’re playing on the beach. But it’s all about doing it in the right way and explaining to people what will happen if they break the rules.
“The thing is a dog doesn’t know about designated areas – they can’t see a line.
“If the owner makes an effort to direct them the right way, it’s fine. It’s when they don’t that can cause problems.”
Mr Bleasdale also believes that the beaches have been cleaner since the orders were introduced.
Conwy council has also claimed that the county’s beaches would not have Blue Flag status without them.
Cabinet member Dr Mark Baker addressed the issue at a recent council meeting.
He said: “Kingdom do a very difficult and important job on behalf of the council in tackling the issues of littering, dog fouling and ensuring that there are dog-free areas for people to enjoy.”