A Lyme Regis councillor is calling on dog control orders on Lyme Regis beach to be reviewed and for the council to support a prosecution after a child was attacked.

At a town council meeting earlier this month, Cllr Owen Lovell told members that on December 1, a 12-year-old boy received bites and bruising from a dog as he was walking across the beach to his grandparents.

He said that the dog leapt up at the boy more than once and that the owner was unable to control their dog as it wasn’t on a lead.

He had photos of the injuries the child sustained, which were passed around for councillors to see.

Despite objections from the town council, West Dorset District Council (WDDC) agreed last year to allow dogs to run free, without a lead, on Lyme Regis Front Beach from October to April.

Cllr Owen Lovell said: “We were promised, when that regulation was put in, that it would get reviewed.

“I want us to make sure that the dog laws do get reviewed and we get controls on dogs on the beach.

“It is an absolute disgrace.

“This poor child is probably going to be scared of dogs for the rest of his life.”

Cllr Lovell believes that if the town council were to support a prosecution against the owner of the dog, it would give more authority to dog wardens and be a warning to dog walkers.

He added: “The poor dog warden goes down and tells someone to put their dog on a lead because it is dangerous, but he has no control. He gets told to leave the beach because people do not have any respect.

“He doesn’t have support from this council or WDDC and they do a very difficult job under very difficult circumstances.

“I hope this council will consider a prosecution.

“Just think of the wonderful publicity and the attention it would garner, and the impact it would make on the life of the enforcement officer, if someone would only prosecute and I ask that you give this serious consideration.

“I feel very strongly because we were against the removal of dogs on the lead on the main beach – we always were, and we always are.

“I see no reason that this council has changed their mind on that and I do think WDDC need to play their part in making a prosecution and this will be the golden opportunity.”

Lyme Regis mayor, Cllr Michaela Ellis, said that they will discuss it and that the council need to go back to WDDC to say they want to change the control orders.