Dog-owners will not be allowed to take their pets into two cemeteries in Worcester and must keep their animal on a lead in one of the city’s parks.

Worcester City Councillors on the authority’s Environment Committee voted unanimously to approve new powers to try and prevent dog-fouling in the city.

And included ihn those powers are exclusion zones for dog - Astwood and St John’s cemeteries, and a rule that all dogs must be on a lead in Gheluvelt Park.

Dog owners, or walkers, will also only be allowed to walk four dogs at any one time.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson queried that part of the Public Space Protection Order adopted this week.

She said: “What is the reason for that number? I’m concerned that there are professional dog-walkers who run a business, and I know that we’ve helped some of theme through our business support scheme and I’d hate to think we were helping them on the one hand, and hindering them on the other.”

Council officer Alice Davey said: ”The number is based upon advice from the RSPCA that’s the best number - but we can review that in time.”

The restriction on numbers was supported by Councillor Gareth Jones, who said: “I have seen people with several dogs and they form a big circle 300 metres away from the walker, who has no idea what they’re doing.”

Council officers will be deployed to check on areas based upon reports to the council’s PooWatch.co.uk app, which has an average of 180 reports of dog fouling a month since it was set up in November 2015.

Those caught breaking the order could be fined £75 on the spot or up to £1000 by a court.

Councillor Richard Udall said: “The threat of being caught and fined and humiliated will be a strong deterrent to dog-owners behaving irresponsibly.”

Councillor Neil Laurenson said he believed the council would have to recruit more enforcement officers in order to cath transgressors because Ms Davey explained: “A dog will have to be seen doing its business, and the walker seen to leave it , just as it is in littering.”