Fighting the scourge of irresponsible dog owners — and in London there seem to be a lot of them — Hackney Council issued three new “Dog Control Orders”.

From Feb 18, dog owners in Hackney should take note of the following:

“* A ‘dog exclusion’ order, enabling the Council to stop dogs from entering certain areas including children’s playgrounds, sports courts, multi-use games areas, and marked pitches where games are in play.

* A ‘dogs on leads’ order, which would stop owners from exercising dogs off-lead on roads and in car parks (excluding towpaths), churchyards, communal areas on estates, small public parks and gardens under half a hectare in size and Shepherdess Walk.

* A ‘dogs on leads where requested’ order, which would give authorised council officers the power to request that dogs are put on leads where they are not under the appropriate control of their owner, or where they are causing damage or acting aggressively.”

The DCOs are the result of a public consultation that took place in 2011.

“Anyone found flouting any of the offences can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £80, if unpaid the penalty can be increased to up to £1,000 at Magistrates’ Court.”