Dog attack sees council step up park patrols

Exeter City Council has been stepping up patrols in Belmont Park following the unfortunate incident back in August when a dog was attacked and killed in front its elderly owner.

Diana Walton, the owner of a 9-year old Yorkshire terrier Folly need medical attention after a much larger dog bit and shook Folly to death in August this year.

The dog was initially thought to be a banned breed and was seized by Police but has since been confirmed to be a Bull Terrier by Exeter City Council.

Recognising that this was an isolated incident, the Council decided not to take immediate steps to ban dogs off leads in this park but instead monitor the site to gauge the extent of any problem.

Keith Owen, Lead Councillor for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, said: "The vast majority of dog owners using Belmont Park to exercise their pets do so in a controlled and responsible way. However, Council Officers will continue to patrol the site to reassure users."

Authorised Council Officers have the ability to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to those who refuse to put the dog on a lead when requested, if the Officer considers it to be causing an unreasonable nuisance or annoyance to others, or to those who fail to clean up after their dog.