Dogs could be banned from an even larger stretch of Tankerton Beach during the summer.

New proposals by city council bosses include extending the current ban, which runs from The Street to the steps in front of The Royal in Tankerton, all the way up to Long Rock.

It will mean dogs excluded from the strip of beach between May 1 and September 30, and owners forced to keep them on leads on the promenade during that same period.

A fresh consultation is being launched by the council after a previous one failed to give people enough time to respond.

But pet owners have reacted with fury and a petition has been set up in response, urging people to oppose the plan.

They have been supported by the Rev Simon Tillotson, of the Whitstable Team Ministry, says the extension makes no sense.

“The current situation is already serving both groups; those with dogs and those without,” he said.

“There is a huge area where dogs are not allowed and a smaller area where they are.

“The situation needs to be based on logic and to even allow this consultation is unfair to dog owners.”

He added: “I think for a lot of people who live in Whitstable it’s not just about the dogs, it’s an important social meeting spot for people.

“Quite a lot of people who live on their own have dogs. If you make it harder for them, it impacts them as well as the dogs.”

Kathryn Derby, of Wynn Road in Tankerton, described the plan as ill-thought out and draconian. She walks her dog, Holly, every day on the stretch of beach.

“For me personally and other families with dogs, we spend our summers here, we have our holidays in the area because we can bring our dogs to the beach with us,” she said.

“We don’t have to leave them at home or put them in kennels.

“We’re spending our money in the town, with local dog friendly businesses.”

The mother-of-one says there are other problems, such as litter, that need to be dealt with yet she believes dog owners are being penalised.

“I can’t find anything to say there is a consultation so I have no details why they want to do this,” she said.

“Is it because of dog poo? I usually find families are more likely to clear up after their dogs.

“Half of us spend our lives clearing up litter on the beach.”

A Canterbury City Council spokesman said: “We are required to rescind our existing control orders and replace them with a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) by October 2017. As part of this work, we sought views on all matters that could be included in the PSPO and from that came the suggestion that the dog ban be extended further along Tankerton.

“We are aware there are conflicting viewpoints on this idea and so will shortly be asking the public what they think.”

n Letters, pages 18-19