ENFORCEMENT officers on patrol this week could be handing out their first £60 fixed penalty notices to dog owners who allow their pets to roam on dog-free beaches.
A week-long warning period ran out at the weekend and now anyone caught with their pet on one of a number of dog-free areas of beaches will face a fine.
Dog-free beach zones operate in Swansea and on areas of Gower between May and the end of September so that families can have the option of enjoying time on the beach without being disturbed by dogs.
Cllr Mark Thomas, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transportation, said: “We want everyone who lives in or visits Swansea to enjoy our wonderful beaches.
“There are many signs at beach access points and car parks to alert dog owners at the affected beaches and there are still plenty of beaches where dogs can run free. Owners who use those beaches and pick up dog mess after their pets can be confident they won’t face a fixed penalty notice.”
Owners who don’t pick up their pet’s poo after them will face a £70 fine.
The by-law banning dogs from certain areas of beaches in Swansea Bay, Bracelet, Limeslade, Rotherslade, Langland, Caswell and Port Eynon has been in place for more than 20 years and is familiar to many regular beach visitors.
Signs highlighting the location of the dog-free beaches are on show near each of them, including in the closest car parks.
Leaflets have been distributed to businesses and are available at the Tourist Information Centre as well as at council buildings including the Civic Centre. There’s also a website at www.swansea.gov.uk/article/3987/Dogs-on-beaches with more information.
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