Dogs will now be banned from children’s play areas but NOT from sports pitches after a public outcry.

The move comes after Hyndburn Council received 344 dog fouling complaints and 320 further complaints in the last 12 months relating to dogs being out of control or off leads.

A public consultation has found most of respondents were in favour of banning dogs from council-owned children’s play areas, bowling greens and requiring dogs to be kept on leads in town centre areas and cemeteries.

However more than half of the 378 consultees rejected plans to ban dogs from council-owned sports pitches despite calls from sports clubs.

The Public Spaces Protection Orders will now be put in place for three years with a maximum penalty of £100 for any breach.

Conservative councillor Terry Hurn said sports pitches should be included due to ‘health issues’.

However councillor Paul Cox told a recent cabinet meeting: “We have gone with the democratic view. These orders can be reviewed in three years time but as it stands at the moment the public response was they wish to keep those areas (sports pitches) out of the scheme.”

Council leader Miles Parkinson said it is important not to be too ‘onerous on responsible dog owners’. He told the meeting: “No-one wants to go and play on a football pitch where some dog has defecated. It’s not pleasant running on it or a ball rolling through it which is then is hit against you.

“The vast majority of dog owners do their responsibility and pick it up. Unfortunately you only need one dog owner who doesn’t and you’ve got an issue.

“The other issue is the vast majority of dog owners will ask ‘where can I walk my dog?’ You’d be taking all the green spaces away for dogs.

“It’s finding an equilibrium and the council has listened, taking out certain areas, but are still letting dog owners who generally do what is right have somewhere they can enjoy public open space. To do a carpet blank ban on everything right across the borough maybe very onerous on responsible dog owners who are in the majority. It’s now trying to address those irresponsible dog owners and we have now shrunk the area for the dog warden to focus on.”