An elderly grandmother was left in tears after being fined £50 while walking her dog – because the lead was too long.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Maureen Sanders, 80, was walking her rescue dog, Soren, around Bootle Cemetery, in Merseyside, when two officers from an enforcement firm stopped her.
The two women told Maureen her dog lead needed to be less than two metres if she wanted to use it in the area.
Maureen said that instead of issuing her with a warning or explaining the rules, the officers gave her a £50 fine for breaking the by-law.
Signs outside the cemetery state that dogs should be kept on a short lead but do not specify any maximum length. They do state the area should not be used for dog walking, but the cemetery is used regularly by many animal owners.
Maureen’s daughters have offered to help her pay the £50 fine so the money doesn’t come out of her pension – but she said she was refusing to pay the fine on principle.
She told the Mail: “What upset me was if you don’t have it paid up in a fortnight they said you would be fined £2,500 and I would have a criminal record.
“I cried all night because I was so, so upset…
“I’ve always been very respectful in the cemetery. I always have the dog on a lead and a lot of people don’t do that.”
