HONITON pub landlord Hedley Hawkins had a shock when he opened last week's Herald and read East Devon District Council had imposed a dog control order over Vine Inn Yard.

HONITON pub landlord Hedley Hawkins had a shock when he opened last week's Herald and read East Devon District Council had imposed a dog control order over Vine Inn Yard.Mr Hawkins, who is a dog owner, owns the car park in the yard and knew nothing about plans to compel people to keep dogs on leads there."I own a dog and there's no way I'm going to restrict my dog on my property," he said."I think the council should have consulted, rather than just do it."Mr Hawkins is disappointed the decision was announced after the recent county council elections in which a large number of district councillors won seats. He has owned The Vine Inn for 33 years and says: "Vine Yard and Vine Passage, which leads to Vine Yard, are two different things."I don't own Vine Passage, however, nor does anybody else. It is deemed a footpath but was originally only an access for the residents," said Mr Hawkins."No one else has got rights to the passage. I look after it and make sure it's clean and tidy and re-paved where necessary."I own the garden off of Vine Passage and the yard at the back, where there is also a footpath.