Dog owners who walk their pets on leads longer than 6ft 8in face £1,000 fines

Barking mad: Dog walkers in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, must keep their leads short, as demonstrated here, or face large fines (file pic)

They give dogs the freedom to run about without their owner having to worry about them dashing off to chase a passing cat.

But now long leads have become the latest casualty of what critics say is a campaign by councils to curb the rights of dog owners.

Wardens in Greater Manchester have been ordered to target anyone using a lead longer than 6ft 8in with the threat of a £1,000 fine.

Officials claim the tough rule - brought in by the last Government - is necessary to prevent dogs roaming out of control and to curb fouling. But they admit there have been no complaints

The measure has been imposed by Tameside Council in Ashtonunder-Lyne and neighbouring towns under a dog control order

covering dozens of parks and playing fields. It is thought to be among the first of its kind outside London.

Owners of some of Tameside's 30,000 dogs have attacked the rules. Bernard Lake, 67, suffers from breathing difficulties and uses a 15ft extendable lead so his Yorkshire

terrier Micke can still run about. 'Most owners use common sense and the few who don't aren't going to change their behaviour because of a change in the law,' he said.

'It's the irresponsible people that make life more difficult for the rest of us public- spirited ones.' The

Kennel Club called the rules ' completely arbitrary and unnecessary' and said it would penalise responsible owners.

Rules imposed under Labour's Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act have proved equally unpopular across the country.

Kensington and Chelsea Council stipulates that on public footpaths and grassed squares, dogs must be kept on leads that are not more than 4ft long.

Earlier this year Newark and Sherwood Council in Nottinghamshire banned dogs altogether in 72 parks with the threat of £75 on-the-spot fines.

A Tameside Council spokesman said: 'The areas where we are asking people to keep their dogs on a lead include formal gardens and sports pitches in parks.

'However, there are open spaces very close by where people can exercise their dogs off the lead.'

