Stricter dog controls are being enforced in an area where a swan and cygnets were killed.

Kearsney Abbey is to have a larger dogs-on-leads area after the six birds were savaged to death last year.

It is part of a broader sweep of dog restrictions in open spaces now brought in by Dover District Council.

The extension of the dogs-on-leads area in Dover's Kearsney Abbey is to cover an area known as Mill Ruins.

Overall the control is for a walkway running along the River Dour going to the café side of Kearnsey Abbey and accessed from Minnis Lane.

An officers' report said: "This is the result of a dog off lead attack leading to the death of a swan and five cygnets."

The Mercury's Kent Online website reported on this in May 2018 when it was initially know that five cygnets were dead but not yet the adult swan.

The new restrictions in the district ban dogs from specified areas or order for them to be kept on leads in certain places.

They come under Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) a wide-ranging restriction to deal with dogs and other forms of nuisance.

PSPOs were first introduced in Dover District in July 2015 and renewed last July for another three years.

These covered, for the whole district, failing to remove dog faeces and failing to put a dog on a lead on the demand of an authorised officer.

They also covered, for specified places, failing to keep dogs on leads or failing to keep them away altogether.

The cabinet on Monday agreed on six more restrictions, as well as the one at Kearnsey Abbey.

These are:

Total ban on dogs at Sandwich Nature Reserve at Gazen Salts rather than having them on leads.

For Sandwich Bay there will be a dogs on leads and dogs exclusion area to be added around Pegwell Bay and the Princes Golf Course dunes.

Kent Wildlife Trust asked for dogs to be kept out of the mudflats and salt marshes as the area is a feeding roosting and breeding area for birds.

In two other restrictions dogs are to stay on leads on the grounds of St Augustine's Church, East Landgon and St Clement's Church, Sandwich.

The fifth is extending the dogs on leads area at Hamilton Road Cemetery in Deal to cover additional burial areas.

The sixth is to extend the dog ban area a Whitfield Recreation Ground to include the enclosed children's play area.

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