A pensioner has been hit with a bill of almost £700 after walking with his dog off a lead.

John Pycraft was fined after being taken to court for not putting the animal on a leash after being asked to while out on a riverside stroll in Dover.

Mr Pycraft, of Salisbury Road, had been walking along Barton Path.

The footpath along the River Dour is under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that requires all dogs to be on the lead to protect wildlife.

When a Dover District Council dog warden spotted the 76-year-old with the animal running free, he informed him of the order.

However, Mr Pycraft reportedly walked away, only to be later identified.

When the case was heard on Monday at Folkestone Magistrates' Court, Mr Pycraft was found guilty in his absence and fined £220.

He was also asked to pay costs of £375 with a victim surcharge of £88, bringing the total bill to a costly £683.