Plea to dog walkers using Hartlepool's Stranton Cemetery after memorial damage complaint

Hartlepool Borough Council has issued the appeal after receiving a complaint of pawprint damage to a recently-installed memorial at Stranton Cemetery.

All cemeteries in the town are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) which requires dogs to be on a lead at all times.

Council officials are proposing to step up enforcement in Stranton Cemetery and are warning that people who ignore the order may be hit with a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.

Heritage and Countryside Manager Sarah Scarr said: “Dog walkers need to be mindful of the cemetery’s main purpose as a place where people go to remember their loved ones.

“Whilst we are happy for people to walk their dogs in the cemetery, they must be kept on a lead.

"Should people wish to walk their dogs off the lead there are a number of free run spaces across the town where they can take their dogs.”

The council is also asking motorists to respect the cemetery following a number of complaints about inconsiderate driving within it and vehicles being parked on grassed areas close to graves.

The PSPO relating to dogs came into effect in October 2020. It also includes a condition that that the maximum length of a dog lead in all Hartlepool cemeteries is restricted to a maximum of 1.5 metres (five feet).

Maps showing areas where dogs can run off their leads, and other information, can be found at Hartlepool Borough Council’s website.

Visit www.hartlepool.gov.uk/public-spaces-protection-orders

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