Dartmoor walkers to be fined £500 for letting dogs off the lead

Dog owners who let their pets off the leads on Dartmoor could face being fined £500 if a proposed rule change is accepted. 

Currently, people walking their dogs are advised to keep them on a lead on common moorland during the lambing and ground nesting bird season.

But a plan to change the park's by-laws could result in it becoming law of the land.

It comes as Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) looks to take a tougher stance on visitors following a spate of bad behaviour during the pandemic.

Other changes could ban wild camping, overnight stays in caravans and group barbecues. They are included in a consultation which is open until November 1.

A document published online shows the addition of the line: 'Between 1 March and 31 July each year all dogs have to be kept on a short lead of no more than 2 metres in length.'

The park authorities also want to limit any visitor to a maximum of six dogs.

The lambing and ground nesting bird seasons run from March to the end of July.