OUT & ABOUT FOOTPATH CONFRONTATION
Q Recently, I was waiting to pick my dog up from the groomer and decided to take my other dogs for a walk in the area. I found a public footpath nearby and set off. It was in a very rural area, the maize fields had been harvested, and there was no livestock around.
I let my three dogs off-lead on the public footpath and they were all running ahead of me having a nice time when a woman came running up to me, shouting angrily and saying they must be on-lead. When I asked why she said she owned the land and she didn’t have to give me a reason. She was very unpleasant about it and when I politely pointed out that it was a public footpath, she said it made no difference, they had to be on-lead! It was quite an upsetting episode and I went on a very long detour to avoid going on that footpath again, but I wonder if she is correct? Do dogs always have to be on a lead on a public footpath? My dogs are very well behaved and under control. Caroline Martin, Lincolnshire.
Stephen says: There’s no general law that dogs must be on-lead on public footpaths in England and Wales. However, off-lead dogs still need to be kept on the path and under control at all times, and prevented from causing problems, damage, or injury to other people, wildlife, or farm animals.
Local councils can use Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) so that dog walkers can be fined if their pets are not on-lead at certain sensitive times and places; PSPOs are mostly used on beaches and in town parks, but they can also apply to rural public rights of way. But using the information you provided, I can see there is no online record of an on-lead PSPO on this path, so it seems the landowner mistakenly believes they can impose their own rules, when in truth this is a legally protected route, maintained and controlled by the local council at the public expense.
I am very concerned that the confrontation was so troubling you had to return a different way, as it’s a criminal offence to threaten or deter legitimate path-users, so I strongly suggest you report this, as others may have been intimidated too; it really helps the council take action if there’s a history of harassment.
● Contact the public rights of way team at Lincolnshire County Council; call 01522 782070, or email countryside_access@ lincolnshire.gov.uk