Dog beach ban warnings to be trialled this summer

A trial scheme to give people caught taking their dogs on Pembrokeshire's beaches a warning rather than fines will take place this summer.

Pembrokeshire council has agreed to trial an "education over enforcement" scheme between 1 May and 30 September, when the ban is in place.

Dogs are banned from Tenby North Beach and Whitesands in St Davids, with partial bans at other beaches including Lydstep, Newgale, and Tenby Castle and South Beach.

Councillor Mark Carter said that 70% of those caught with dogs were tourists and "giving a warning is fair in my mind, it's good for business and good for tourism".

Partial bans are also in place at Saundersfoot, Amroth, Poppit Sands, Broad Haven North and Dale, but Carter said fining tourists was "sending out the wrong message".

Members of the services overview and scrutiny committee approved the trial at their meeting on 27 March.

First-time offenders will be given a warning, with fixed penalty notices issued where appropriate.

Dog fouling on the street and beach would continue to be enforced, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A report said the authority would take an "intelligence-led" approach tackling "hot-spots" and councillors agreed to improve communication about dog-free zones.

The results of the trial would then be compared with the 2024 season of full enforcement, a report for councillors said.