Dog walkers could face fines of up to £100 under new rules being considered.

Medway Council has launched a consultation around introducing a public space protection order (PSPO) which would ban dogs in some areas and require them to be on a lead in others.

The authority says the PSPO would aim to improve community safety and the local environment by setting up dog exclusion areas, controlling where dogs can be off leads, limiting the number of dogs one person can walk at one time, and cracking down on dog fouling.

It is asking residents to give their thoughts on proposals which would see dogs excluded from play areas and multi-use games areas (MUGA) in 99 of the Towns parks.

These include the play area and open space at Allhallows Road; the sports pavilion, two play areas, and MUGA at Barnfield Recreation Ground; and the play area, outdoor gym, and basketball area at Hempstead Play Recreation Ground, among others.

There are also six locations where dogs would be required to be on leads, including the car parks, pond areas and picnic areas of Riverside Country Park; and the car parks and area around the pond in Capstone Country Park.

Additionally, dogs would have to be on leads in Chatham, Rochester, Woodlands and Strood cemeteries.

Further, the PSPO would limit the amount of dogs a person can walk within the area to four.

The council says it has not currently considered exemptions for professional dog-walkers or doggy day care groups, but they would consider them based upon the consultation results.

The PSPO would give the council and police greater powers to punish people who infringe on the new rules, including issuing fixed penalty notices.

People who break any of the rules would be required to provide their name, address and date of birth to a police or council officer and could face a £100 fine, reduced to £75 if paid within a fortnight.

The consultation is currently open and residents can learn more and provide their thoughts on the proposals via the council’s website.

The consultation runs until September 6, after which council officers will consider the responses and make a decision about whether to proceed.