Sir,

Mrs. Sherwood should really get her facts right before writing such an inflammatory anti-dog letter as appeared in the Observer dated October 7.

Tenby South Beach is not a dog ban area between May 1 and September 30. The ban only applies to the area directly below the cliffs - to the north of the 'zig-zag' by the Fountain Cafe, and to the south of the slope by Dennis Cafe, allowing dogs to embark on boats for Caldey Island. Notices appear at the bottom of the 'zig-zag' and the slope indicating that dogs are permitted to pass on one side, but not the other, and are about three-foot square.

Dog beach ban notices were withdrawn from the 'main path to South Beach', following my complaint that they were inaccurate and a deliberate attempt by the council to mislead and likely to cause a breach of the peace.

Dogs are permitted to run loose wherever an unjust total ban is not in force. Remember over one thousand people petitioned against any dog ban, but were ignored by our un-democratic anti-dog county councillors - many of whom lost their seats at the following election and their share of the annual million pound allowances they had voted themselves.

There could well have been thousands of dogs exercised on South Beach during the summer - three thousand means an average of 20 canine visitors each day.

Most dog owners do clean up after their pets, and would be particularly foolish not to do so, when witnessed by many other beach users.

The excrement found in the sand by children is much more likely to be human, from those sunbathers that prefer not to walk any distance to the 'cesspits' that Mrs. Sherwood describes. My own dog at times disgusts me by insisting upon digging up used nappies and worse hidden just below the surface of the sand.

I will not at this time comment upon the handing out of penalty fines and harassment of the public by council officials acting as if they had the power of a police officer. Also, whether or not a tidal beach can be land designated under the 'Dogs Fouling of Land Act (1997); as far as I am aware this point of law has yet to be tested in court.

John H. Gillson,

Bracken Heights, Mill Lane, Narberth.