FAMILIES with assistance dogs or mobility problems are being discriminated against when trying to walk on Dorset beaches – according to a local dog ‘champion’.

Linda Stevenson says poor access to beaches for people with mobility issues, or those with assistance dogs, amounts to indirect discrimination.

In a letter to Dorset Council she says the issue of poor access not only discriminates against visitors, but local people as well.

She also claims that some dogs owners “are finding it increasing difficult to walk dogs in the community they live in for fear of abuse.”

She says the attitude stems from intolerance to dog fouling and is calling on the council’s dog wardens to do more to tackle the problem. In a letter to the council she says dog owners are also increasingly concerned about irresponsible owners.

“Can the council assure people of the role of the dog wardens and council employees who can issue fines for dog fouling, and when this will be implemented? We have been told it is not often possible because dog fouling happens during the hours of darkness which, as dog owners know, dogs are walked at all times of the day. We have been assured all reports of dog fouling will be investigated -  sadly something that, up until recently, was not happening.”

Portfolio holder Cllr Laura Miller says incidents of abuse should be reported: “ No-one should live in fear of abuse and incidents need to be reported to the authorities,” she told Tuesday’s Dorset Council Cabinet meeting.

Cllr Miller says the authority now has six animal welfare and dog control officers carrying out duties over a wide area.

“They undertake patrols in hotspot areas where there are known problems but with such a large area to focus on, it is difficult to be in the right place at the right time to witness an offence. To help with enforcement we have a further twenty Town and Parish Council authorised officers.

“All reports of fouling are investigated but the evidence supplied often doesn’t reach the standard required to take enforcement action. We encourage complainants to provide as much detail as possible so that we can carry out patrols in the daylight hours that will coincide with the occurrence of likely offences.”

Cllr Miller said that people using an assistance dog do not have to comply with the exclusion restrictions or the requirement to dispose of dog faeces.

“The Council needs to achieve a balance between access to exercise areas for dog owners and the protection of public health. Specific concerns are being looked at by officers as part of a review of the Dog-related Public Spaces Protection Order,” she said.