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This was the forceful speech given by a councillor angry at "arrogant and indignant" dog owners.

Councillor Kevin Mahoney said a blanket ban of dogs from sports pitches was the council's "one chance" to deal with the issue of fouling on sports pitches.

But he accused the council of caving in to dog owners for dropping measures which would have seen dogs banned from sports pitches.

Vale of Glamorgan Council has said a blanket ban on sports pitches will not be included in a proposed public spaces protection order aimed at stopping anti-social dog walkers.

Dog walkers would face fines of £100 if they do not pick up after their pets on sports pitches or other public spaces, and there would also be seasonal bans on some beaches.

But the sports pitch ban was dropped following public opposition as a petition signed by 1,522 people opposed the move.

But a consultation answered by 1,763 people found 57% supported the banning of dogs from marked sports pitches.

Councillor Kevin Mahoney, who is a dog owner, told the council's Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee on April 4 that a blanket ban of dogs from sports pitches was the authority's "one chance" to deal with the issue of fouling on sports pitches.

He said the "sheer arrogance of people to think they should demand that their dogs can go on sports pitches" is "absolutely disgraceful".

He added: "I've heard people whining they've got nowhere to walk their dog, but that's strange because I'm a dog owner and I don't have any problem with that.

"It's impossible to clear the complete amount of faeces left by even those so-called responsible dog owners.

"This authority has admitted year after year it's physically incapable of policing dog fouling. The one chance you have of keeping faeces off sports pitches is having a blanket ban so that any dog on there, the owner can be prosecuted.

"Who on earth do they think they are? These members of the public who have been so indignant and insistent their dogs should be allowed to do this? And who on earth are the Vale cabinet to agree with them and back down in this way?"

He said the cabinet are "caving into a bunch of indignant dog owners who, quite frankly, if they can't find anywhere to walk their dog as I do, they shouldn't own a dog."

Seasonal bans of dogs from Penarth seafront and the Knap beach are also set to be removed but dog bans will still apply on a seasonal basis at Whitmore Bay, Dunraven Bay and Cwm Colhuw.

Dogs would still be banned from all children's play areas, ecological conservation areas and bowling greens in the Vale, and they would be required to be on leads all year round on the promenade at Whitmore Bay and Penarth seafront and pier.

RSPCA Cymru opposed the sports pitch ban but agreed it should be an offence for dog owners not to clean up after their pets.

Council leader John Thomas has previously said the council has taken people's views into account and has achieved a "balanced position".

Councillor Lis Burnett told the committee that dog owners had felt victimised by the proposals.

"It's been so painful getting here," she said. "It was so painful for many members of the public who felt they were earmarked for derision as dog owners or dog walkers.

"We need to learn from this exercise and understand that consultation is not engagement. So many people say 'why won't the council talk to us?'.

Councillor Steffan William asked if sports pitches could be "fenced off" to prevent dogs walking on them, but the council's operational manager Colin Smith said this "could be quite costly" for the council.

At the start of the meeting, Mr Smith said: "We know the majority of dog owners are responsible and we don't want to limit them from the green spaces the Vale has to offer."

There were also calls for more dog waste bins throughout the Vale at the meeting.

Councillors heard there have been just six prosecutions for dog fouling in the Vale of Glamorgan in the past year.

Cardiff council's PSPO against dog fouling will see dog owners fined £100 if they're fined without bags or the means of picking up after their pets.

But Mr Smith said: "The legal team were concerned it wouldn't be lawful. In the law it doesn't state what you have to use to pick up the dog fouling."