Until recently I had some sympathy with the dog lovers who wish to continue to walk their dogs on Southend’s beaches.

Unfortunately I saw something recently that made my blood boil and I'm now in favour of dogs being banned from our beaches.

A man with a very large dog allowed it to foul right next to the water’s edge.

Instead of picking up the mess, he kicked it into the water about five yards from where young children were playing and swimming.

If dogs are banned from our beaches it will be the fault of people like him.

For the record, I do like dogs, and I understand it is the minority of dog owners who give the rest a bad name, but if banning dogs from our beaches stops this sort of incident, then I'm all for it.

Lesley Holiday
Alexandra Road
Southend

...When I was a young mum I took my children to play in the local park (not Southend) and always had to look out for dog mess.

At that time a mother was challenging the council because her toddler son had gone blind as a result of contact with dog mess in that same park.

When I moved to Southend in the Eighties, I remember walking along the seafront and seeing notices stating no dogs were allowed on the beach between May 1 and September 30. A few years later, they seemed to disappear.

I know most dog owners are responsible, but think on this: Visitors with young children come here for a few hours on the beach, maybe hand out the sandwiches and then are subjected to the sight of a dog owner scooping up poo a few yards away.

I think the ban should be in place for the summer months.

Mrs P Bradford
Station Road
Southend