FIXED penalty fines will be used to enforce proposed dog control measures which are currently a hot topic of debate in Ottery.

FIXED penalty fines will be used to enforce proposed dog control measures which are currently a hot topic of debate in Ottery.

East Devon District Council is currently seeking resident's views over a proposed dog ban on the Winters Lane Playing field and for animals to be kept on leads in the Land of Canaan.

Should the mooted dog control measures become a reality, an EDDC spokesperson said anybody caught flouting them would be treated in line with existing dog-fouling punishments.

She added: "The penalty for allowing a dog to foul and not picking up after the animal would be an on-the-spot fine of £80 for the first offence. Anyone who opts to go to court or is caught re-offending could be liable to a fine of up to £1,000.

"Many of the proposed orders are for sites that are used as children's play areas or sports pitches. The aim is to encourage responsible dog ownership and to ensure that potentially harmful dog mess is not present in these areas, where it could harm children or adults who came into contact with it.

"Any authorised officer of EDDC, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and the Police will be able to issue fixed penalty fines. In addition, our technical Officers may be called out to deal with complaints on a particular site.