Dog walkers have been wrongly accused of flouting new seafront restrictions after a blunder by council wardens saw them threatened with fines.

Officials have been approaching people strolling with their pets along Tankerton slopes, near Whitstable, insisting the area is covered by a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) banning owners from letting dogs off their lead.

It came as a shock to residents and visitors who have been enjoying the popular grassy area with their pets for generations.

But now Canterbury City Council has admitted officers should not have been attempting to enforce the rules in the area, which is outside the confines of the recently updated PSPO.

It is a huge relief to dog walkers, including Lisa Smart from Tankerton, who was approached by uniformed wardens on two separate occasions recently when her labrador Bella was running loose on the slopes.

“I knew there was a ban covering dogs off the lead on the promenade, but had no idea it included the slopes,” she told KentOnline.

“But two women wardens came up to me on separate days and told me dogs were not allowed off the lead.

“On the first occasion, they were actually quite rude and said something like, ‘Can’t you read the signs?’ and I was told I could face a fine in future. But I couldn’t see the notices anywhere.

“Then a few days later, two different wardens chased after me and told me I was breaking the rules.

“I was furious because the slopes are very popular with dog walkers and have been for generations.

“They allow your dog proper exercise, like chasing after balls, which they can’t do on the lead.”

Mrs Smart, who works at the Marine Hotel on the seafront, says other dog owners have been spoken to by wardens working for council contractor NES and warned they could be fined.

“They were fuming, but now we’re told the restrictions don’t apply to the slopes,” she said.

“It’s really poor that wardens have been scaremongering and threatening people with enforcement when they don’t seem to know the rules themselves.”

Also unnecessarily alarmed has been Deborah Clarke, who has run the Seaview Cafe for 18 years, which is popular with dog owners, who feared the ban could even cost her business.

Before the city council clarified the situation, she said: “Lots of customers have complained about it and I worry people will just stop coming if they can’t properly exercise their dogs.”

The local authority recently renewed its PSPOs, which cover numerous areas in the district where dogs are banned or must be kept on a lead.

They include children’s play areas and recreation grounds, as well as land where wildlife could be disturbed by dogs, such as Long Rock in Swalecliffe, which has now been added.

The rules were signed off on May 3 but are only being enforced as notices go up in the affected areas.

Council spokesman Leo Whitlock said: "We are aware an enforcement officer employed by our contractor NES had misunderstood the rules and, as soon as we realised, we took action to put that right. We are sorry for any confusion caused.

"Our officers have received detailed training on the dog control PSPO in recent days in readiness for helping educate dog owners on the rules in the coming weeks and then enforcing them.

"We're in the process of putting up fresh signs to explain what those rules are and where they apply and where they don't apply.

"There will also be an interactive map on our website which people can access on their phones while out and about or from home.

"Once those signs are up and the map is live, we will publicise the fact we are ready to enforce and our enforcement officers will spend some time out on the ground educating dog owners before they start issuing fines.

"It is always a careful balancing act. Out of 14 miles of coastline, restrictions on dogs only apply along a very small stretch to protect wildlife and allow families to enjoy the beach during the summer months."