Plans to ban dogs from beaches have left owners hot under the collar.

One couple is livid after moving their beach hut by fork-lift truck on to a dogfriendly pebble stretch, only to learn they face the new ban.

Brighton and Hove City Council has announced plans to ban dogs from beaches for six months of the year.

Dogs would also be banned from children's play areas, some school grounds, small historic city centre squares, such as Brunswick Square in Hove, and cemeteries.

A final scheme has been drawn up and the council is inviting residents to air their views.

The idea would see dogs banned from all city beaches between April and September.

Pensioner Jenny Sharman, from Hove, owns two dogs, one of which is blind.

They are American cocker spaniels, a breed which particularly loves water, and she regularly takes them down to the sea.

She said: "I've had beach huts for 25 years beside dogdesignated beaches. I've had dogs all my children's lives and I've always used dogfriendly beaches.

"I would be interested to know how we will get our dogs into the sea from the beach huts without crossing the beach.

"Does the council plan to provide suitable dog carriers, maybe in the form of rickshaws?"

Carrie Rawle, 43, from Brighton, owns Dotty, a labrador/beagle cross. She said she understood why the proposal had been put forward but said she would like to see some dog-friendly beaches remain, perhaps with the proviso that dogs should be put on leads in order to take them down to the water's edge.

She said: "We own a beach hut which is directly opposite a dog-friendly beach so the new by-laws will affect our enjoyment during the summer months. We've always been really careful Dotty's not a nuisance to anybody. It'll be a real shame if it goes ahead."

Liz Cook, who shares ownership of the beach hut with Carrie and her husband Jonathan Rawle, is dismayed by the proposal to ban dogs from every beach during the summer.

The families had the hut moved by a fork-lift truck 15 years ago so they could be beside a dog-friendly beach.

She said: "Dogs love swimming in the sea in hot weather and our families spend whole days at the beach because we can have our dogs with us."

A spokeswoman from Brighton and Hove City Council said dogs were already banned from certain popular beaches during the summer.

She said: "These are just proposals and the whole idea of the consultation is to get views from residents to help us decide how we should progress."

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