THE results of a controversial public consultation over dog bans in Wirral will be announced next month.

It came after campaign groups Wirral Good Dogs and Peaceful Protests – Wirral Dog Bans presented their 15,000-name petition to a full council meeting on Monday.

There, the group reinstated their belief that the proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), meaning tough new measures for dogs at beauty spots and tourist hotspots – would do 'more harm than good', and 'will probably not solve the problems we are intending to solve.'

Sarah Ashworth, founder of the project, told the meeting the group had worked 'tirelessly' over the past few months to prevent the 'draconian and unjustified' rules from coming into force.

The petition said by implementing the PSPO, the council would be 'criminalising behaviour that is not really criminal', and that it had 'no valid grounds' to introduce the bans.

She added: “The threat of a fine will not make the irresponsible few become responsible. That behaviour will instead become displaced.

“Dog walking is the number one form of exercise in the UK. So when the council is responsible for public health, and dog walking is so beneficial to health, why are they demotivating people to use most this popular form of activity?”

Responding to the petition, council leader Cllr Phil Davies said: “I am personally very sympathetic to the idea we shouldn’t be looking at a blanket ban, but we cannot ignore the issues around dogs.”

It comes after a consultation during the summer, after which it was immediately announced that the proposed dog bans at beaches would not happen after a backlash to the plans.

The council said it would then analyse further responses before a decision is made about introducing a PSPO in other areas, including cemeteries and allotments.

Options ranged from dogs being banned all year round to season exclusions and a requirement for dogs to be kept on leads.

Earlier this year, the local authority said the proposed changes – if implemented – would create 'cleaner, safer and more attractive public spaces' for residents and visitors.

But it sparked a furious response from many dog owners, with some saying humans who left litter on the beaches were the real problem.

Cllr Davies told Ms Ashworth a decision will be announced next month.

He added: “We are very pleased and keen to work with organisations like Wirral Good Dogs to make sure Wirral’s open spaces are enjoyable for all.”