COUNCILLORS have raised concerns over how proposed measures to tackle dog fouling, seagulls and "aggressive begging" will be enforced.

Members of Bridport Town Council's environment and social wellbeing committee discussed the proposals by West Dorset District Council to introduce Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) to halt anti-social drinking, "aggressive begging" and the feeding of gulls in specific areas including West Bay and Lyme Regis.

In addition, the district council has launched a consultation on a dog-related PSPO and is asking for views on a number of options, including new restrictions related to dog control.

Cllr Dave Rickard said: "One of the issues that came up was whether there's the capacity to have anybody to enforce it. They are assuming that they are going to appoint volunteers.

"What we need to know is how it's going to be enforced. If you're going to let volunteers do it, that's a recipe for disaster."

Cllr Julian Jones, said: "The whole things seems to be a bit trivial.

"You should only makes changes if there is a solid reason for change. How many people have raised this issue with the town council? I have no reason to say that anything should be changed from how it is now."

But town clerk Bob Gillis said the authority was contacted regularly about dog fouling.

He said: "We get a lot of emails about dog fouling.

"There's two or three people who contact me quite regularly and that's in the town, as opposed to West Bay."

Mr Gillis added that police action had helped reduce anti-social behaviour in the town.

He said: "There have been some issues over the last few years with drinking, but not in the last year because the police have been addressing it.

"As far as I understand, the police are going to continue to enforce it."

Cllr Rickard said that he wanted to ensure that the police continued to deal with anti-social behaviour.

He added: "At the moment the police deal with anti-social drinking - are they not going to do that anymore?

"We want to guarantee we don't lose the police dealing with anti social drinking. The police are overstretched. I cannot see them taking on the feeding of seagulls."

The district council is asking for public views on the two proposals until Wednesday, March 15 online. For more information and to have your say on the dog-related PSPOs, please visit dorsetforyou.com/west/your-say-dogs.

For more information and to have your say on PSPOs in relation to anti-social behaviour, please visit: dorsetforyou.com/west/your-say-asb