DOG owners in Rockwell Green say they have been left with nowhere nearby to walk their pets after signs were put up at the local playing field banning dogs.

Bernie and Denise Tanton, of Dobree Park, who own Bichon Frise dogs George, Jess and Polly, said Taunton Deane Borough Council erected the signs at the end of last month.

“They said dog owners had not been told about the change via a public notice or through a letter.

The large grassed area was marked out as a football pitch in winter, they added, but was only used by junior teams six to ten times a year.

Denise, who has lived with her husband in the area since 2010, said: “We always pick up after our dogs. If we see someone whose dog has left excrement, we say ‘would you like a bag?’.”

“Until last year the sign said “Dobree Park – open space. Now we have a very large sign that says ‘No Dogs Allowed’.

“We can’t walk our dogs – and that’s ridiculous. Where are we supposed to take them? It means I have to take my dogs at least two miles to find them somewhere to walk.”