Dog walkers dish out some woof justice

More than 100 dogs large and small and their owners turned out for the event on St Annes beach on Saturday.

The event had a double purpose - to raise awareness of Lancashire Police’s In The Know campaign and take part in a nationwide mass dog walking world record attempt.

Police Community Volunteer Andrew Noble, who organised the event, said the day was a resounding success.

He said: “It was an absolutely fantastic event. It was great to see so many dogs together - they were all so excited, there were tails wagging and excited barking everywhere as they all got together.

“It was raining in the morning so I was a bit concerned about the turnout, but dog walkers are a hardy bunch and turn out in all weathers so I needn’t have worried.”

The group walked en masse from North Beach towards Blackpool and back on a route that would take them around an hour and a half.

Dog owners also signed up in great numbers for the In The Know service at the police community bus.

The text and email service allows police, neighbourhood watch and residents to share information about police initiatives and also warn about suspicious activity by criminals.

Andrew said: “We had loads of people sign up for the messaging service from Lancashire Police. It is very important, as dog theft is on the rise. We often see pedigree dogs stolen for their value, or other dogs taken and used in dog fighting.

“In some cases we have seen criminals driving round in vans taking dogs off the street.

“We will also be launching Dog Watch on In The Know later in the year, which will be an important tool to help minimise dog theft and give owners peace of mind.”

The numbers involved in the St Annes turnout will be added to the total for the national world record dog walking event.

For further details on dog security measures and other police initiatives, go to www.stayintheknow.co.uk.