A dog owner who persistently let his dog stray in Ottery will have to pay more than £600 after he was prosecuted by the district council.

The authority brought legal action against Joe Daly after he did not pay a fixed penalty notice.

Daly, of Chapel Lane, was fined for regularly allowing his fox terrier, called Hardy, stray in the town.

An district council spokesman said: "Hardy had been able to escape from the garden for several months.

"Many local people had seen Hardy around and had often returned him home.

"Mr Daly had received advice from both the council and the neighbourhood policing team on several occasions."

Daly, 47, was issued a fixed penalty notice of £80, but did not pay it despite several reminders.

At a hearing at Exeter Magistrates' Court on July 25, it was proved in Daly's absence that on January 1, 2019, he allowed his dog to stray on a public road or pavement without being on a lead.

Magistrates imposed a fine of £220 and £430 costs.

Cllr Geoff Jung, EDDC's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "Officers from our environmental health team have worked hard over the last few years spreading the message about the importance of being a responsible dog owner.

"This is not just best for dogs, it is best for people living within our communities who do not want to be put at risk by other people's dogs.

"We have a commitment to act on any information received about breaches of the public spaces protection orders, and will issue fixed penalty notices in all cases where reliable evidence has been received.

"Fixed penalties are issued for littering and fly tipping as well as for dog related offences, and the council will pursue any non-payment through the courts."

In East Devon there are a number of dog controls, called Public Spaces Protection Orders.

As well as requiring owners to pick up after their dogs wherever they are, and to comply with the various dog ban areas, these orders also require owners to always keep their dogs on a lead on roads and pavements.