A petition signed by 456 people calling for a year round dog free section of Sandbanks beach has been rejected by Poole councillors.

However they have agreed to reconsider a previous proposal – roundly rejected at the time – for a summer ban on a small part of the sands.

Borough of Poole’s environment overview and scrutiny committee has agreed to a further consultation on the contentious matter.

“We felt there was merit in keeping a short section of beach dog free all-year round, on the basis that there would still be miles of beach without restrictions,” said Cllr Tony Trent, chairman of the environment overview and scrutiny committee.

“We were less certain about extending the original proposal to create a larger section.

“It was felt that children and families should have the right to a safe section of beach that could be played on all-year round, and asked for advice from council officers on the procedure that should be followed.”

The petition called for a larger area of the Blue Flag beach to be dog free than was consulted on in 2009, when a proposal for a 321m stretch infront of the pavilion was heavily defeated.

Then 140 emails, 24 letter and three petitions totalling 1,048 signatures were against and 29 emails, nine letters and a petition of 474 signatures in favour.

Currently there is a summer ban with two designated beaches where dogs can be walked.

Views on the Daily Echo website covered all aspects of the argument.

“If the answer before was to have facilities for both dog walkers and other non-doggy stretches of beach why can’t we just accept that and get on with life?” said Fossimole.

Gooby said: “There is a law against letting your dog foul the beach. Perhaps it should be enforced. There is no good reason to ban dogs from more of the beach.”