DOGS could be banned from Canvey seafront under proposals being considered by Castle Point Council.

Currently, dogs can go into certain areas of the beach during specific times so long as they are under the control of the owner and dog mess is cleared up.

However, Castle Point Council is considering banning canines from the seafront during the summer months, due to growing concerns about the amount of dog mess left behind.

Colin Letchford, who regularly volunteers with Friends of Concord Beach to clean the area, said: “I enquired with the council on how many people had been fined for dog fouling and they said none. I don’t want to see more regulations for people to ignore.”

Members of the Facebook group, Canvey Island Then and Now, had strong opinions on the ban. Gemma Harris commented: “As a professional dog walker I often use the beach. Irresponsible people will still be irresponsible and rule break. All this will do is penalise the responsible owners and walkers who just want to enjoy the seaside with their dog.”

Kerry Skillett added: “This makes me sad as a dog owner. My husband and I love walking our dog along the seafront.

“It’s such a shame that because some dog owners don’t pick up their dog’s mess, everyone has to suffer. What about all the rubbish left on the beaches after families have spent the day?”

Keith Martin-Smith agreed with the ban: “Very good idea. They should be banned from the RSPB reserves as well.”

Ian Greenwood added: “The mess left by irresponsible dog owners has ruined it for the rest. We all know the diseases that are in dog mess and what it can cause to young children.”

Charles Mumford, Canvey East councillor, who is also part chairman of the environmental scrutiny committee said: “Lots of work has gone into the beaches and they are regarded as major attractions. In order to try to reinforce that, this is one of the recommendations we are looking at our cabinet to make on Wednesday.

“We are looking at the order being enforced in summer 2019, which gives people plenty of time to get used to the idea.

“We are not anti-dog, they will still be able to walk by the sea wall, it is just about finding the balance between public safety.”