A couple have a bone to pick with the council after being accused of allowing their dogs to behave aggressively – despite not owning dogs for more than 30 years.

Keith and Joy Ford of Fleet Lane, Chickerell, are asking for an apology after receiving a letter from the dog warden.

The couple, who are in their 80s, have been accused of allowing two chocolate Labradors to behave aggressively towards another dog last month.

The letter claims that dogs belonging to the Fords put another dog at risk of being hurt, and warns that they could be served with a community protection notice under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act.

According to Mr Ford, the couple have not owned a dog since their beloved Spaniel Corgi-cross, Sally, was put to sleep in 1983.

Keith Ford said: "We haven't had a dog for 30 years.

"After Sally was put down and the vet put her in my arms while she was still warm, I decided there and then that she would be the last dog I'm having.

"This letter has been issued by the council without them bothering to visit us and check the facts.

"I'm sure many people would find it very upsetting to be accused of something like this, it is a defamation of character.

"Someone from the council should come round and apologise for this mistake in person.

"They can even check our shed to prove we don't have any dogs."

The couple say they tried to phone the council to find out why the letter was issued but were unable to get a response."

Councillor Alan Thacker, West Dorset District Council’s portfolio holder for Community Safety and Access, said: “The safety of the community is our top priority. The dog wardens are a small team covering a large area across North Dorset, Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset. They diligently follow up any complaints from members of the public that imply any threat to public safety. They make no judgement on the enquiry itself and – as the letter clearly states – if the recipient of the letter feels this has been issued incorrectly, they can get in touch with us. All letters are issued confidentially.

"We receive dozens of enquiries a week so visiting in person is not a valuable use of the dog wardens’ time or the public’s money. We will call the recipient of the letter to explain the process. We can only apologise if the recipient was issued the letter incorrectly; we can only go on the information that is given to us from the complainant.”

The council also pointed out that the dog warden service is not statutory, citing recent praise from the RSPCA Senior Parliamentary Advisor that commends the dog warden team for being "an absolute model of best practice".