A father has made an impassioned plea for dog owners to respect rules at Broughty Ferry beach to protect his child who is allergic to canines.
Charlie Stewart is at his “wits’ end” after large groups have flocked to the beach as lockdown measures being eased coincided with warmer weather.
Animals are barred from the western section — from the castle to Rugby Terrace — of Broughty Ferry beach between May and September.
Dundee City Council has also asked for dogs to be kept on leads while in public places during the coronavirus pandemic.
But a number dog walkers have been flouting the rules in recent weeks according to Mr Stewart, whose three-year old son Charlie comes out in rashes when he comes into contact with a dog.
His daughter Eva-May, also three and twin sister to Charlie jnr, has an unexplained phobia of dogs, meaning trips to the shore are fraught with stress for the family.
Speaking on the morning of June 5 while at the beach, Mr Stewart said he counted “five or six” canines on the beach.
He said: “It might seem trivial, but every time I take my twins to the beach for a bit of exercise we very rarely get more than five minutes before they are running terrified because they are approached by dogs off their leads.
“When I try to talk to the owners, the common reply is that their dog is gentle, great with kids or is just a puppy.
“But when a child is three years, even a puppy can seem quite big. I am at my wits’ end.
“My wife and I both love dogs and had two rescues when the twins came into the world. That is how we found out about the allergy and sadly had to ask another family member to rehome them.
“We still try to let our twins interact with dogs in a controlled environment as we don’t want them to be frightened of dogs, but to learn to respect them and see they can be great pets.”
The prohibited area is signposted telling people dogs are not allowed at that section to keep it “clean and safe”.
Mr Stewart added: “There are signs all over, so they are choosing to ignore it.
“Beyond the signs, the beach goes all the way to Monifieth and beyond, so it’s not like they are struggling for space.”
Meanwhile, council leader John Alexander has pledged to work with police to curb jet skiers reportedly being out on excluded sections of the River Tay by Broughty Ferry harbour, according to one Twitter user who claims to live nearby.
Another day, trying to work from home, constantly disturbed by jet skis speeding around the exact zone that they are barred from. @TaysidePolice @DundeePolice @CllrAlexander pic.twitter.com/YQplBq2Kql
— MWM (@AyeMWM) June 4, 2020
Describing it as “ridiculous and totally unacceptable” Mr Alexander said he will “raise it with colleagues in Police Scotland”.
Police Scotland did not respond to a request for comment.
