Cleveleys dog owner urges public to be vigilant after fishing hook injury
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62-year-old Linda Green walked her Patterdale Terrier Lottie to Rossall Promenade from her home on Shaftesbury Avenue on Sunday (October 4).
But only five minutes into their walk, Linda felt something sharp on her ankle, and realised her foot had been caught on the wire of a fishing hook.
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Hide AdLinda said: "The sea was in, so you couldn't go onto the beach, and it was so busy with bikes and people everywhere that we walked onto the lower part of the prom.
"I felt something as I was walking along and realised a fishing hook had gone into my ankle.
"There was a massive wire with hooks on it as well, so I took it all home so it didn't hurt anybody else. I was really annoyed.
"It looked like it had just been left there, like it had been completely disregarded because the hook was still on the wire."
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Hide AdMrs Green said it could have been "much worse," but warned other residents, especially those with dogs and children, to take extra care on the promenade and beach.
While it was not clear whether the hook was left on the promenade by accident or deliberately discarded by anglers, environmental group Love My Beach also urged anyone fishing on the Fylde coast to be more conscious of their surroundings.
A spokesman for the group said: "At Love My Beach we encourage everyone to remove all their litter from the coastline. However, this advice becomes more vital than ever when the items in question are a potential danger to beach users as well as marine life.
"Fishing hooks will not break down so have the potential to cause harm to live animals at sea, anyone unfortunate enough to step on one and curious animals who might pick them up, for the lengthy duration of their lifespan.
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Hide Ad"Thankfully, findings of fishing hooks on Fylde Coast beaches aren’t too common. However, it only takes one to cause harm.
"Therefore, we would strongly urge all anglers to take care of their equipment and be sure to collect and remove any broken equipment. By spending five minutes tidying up any litter they might have generated not only are they keeping people and animals safe, but protecting the reputation of their sport."