Children and dogs at risk says Honiton mum.

Midweek Herald: The gap at Honiton Bottom Road which is causing concern for dog owner June Dyer.The gap at Honiton Bottom Road which is causing concern for dog owner June Dyer. (Image: Archant)

A Honiton dog owner fears for the safety of her family pet and others using the town’s recently-designated Village Green.

June Dyer is concerned a gap in fencing at the Honiton Bottom Road site could see a pet - or even child - run out onto rat run Battishorne Way.

She regularly uses the area to walk two-year-old dog Sky, which belongs to her nine-year-old son Jamie.

“There is nothing to stop dogs going straight through the space,” Mrs Dyer told the Midweek Herald.

“The amount of times we’ve been on the field and heard breaks squealing to stop.”

She added: “We can’t take Sky down there because it is just not safe for her.

“People will probably say keep her on a lead, but she is such a sociable dog that we may as well not take her there if we have to keep her on a lead.”

Mrs Dyer said Sky has nearly run out into the road on a number of occasions and would like to see some type of fencing put in the gap to prevent any accidents in the future.

“I haven’t heard of anyone being hit, but there have been so many near misses,” she added.

“They do need to put up a fence there.

“Even if it was just some wire fencing so the dogs wouldn’t be able to run straight through.

“It doesn’t have to be high to keep dogs in.”

Her nine-year-old son Jamie, who suffers from cerebral palsy, said: “I couldn’t bear to lose her.”

A spokesman for East Devon District Council said: “This field is in an area that is fairly open to the road, which has a 30mph speed limit and good visibility.

“The gap is an informal access point that has been created by dog walkers and parents habitually crossing through what was once a smaller gap in the hedge.

“The hedge in question has a number of gaps and to be an effective barrier the entire field boundary with the road would need fencing, which we feel would be an inappropriate use of precious resources.

“Any dog owners concerned that their pets might run into the road would be advised to keep them on a lead at all times.”