PENDLE Council is advising dog owners to take care when walking their dogs through the countryside this lambing season.

The countryside around Pendle is crossed by a network of footpaths many of which go through fields used for lambing.

Since lambing time has begun, dog walkers are asked to take extra care to reduce the risk to pregnant ewes and their unborn lambs.

Pendle’s countryside access officer, Tom Partridge, said: “We’re appealing to dog walkers to follow the Countryside Code to keep their dogs under close control when using public paths.

“The best way to do this is to keep dogs on a short lead especially near to farm animals.

“If a pregnant ewe takes fright at a dog running about, it is very easy for it to lose its lambs.”

There have been a number of recent prosecution cases in other boroughs relating to farmers and landowner shooting dogs that have been worrying their sheep. In some cases the courts have found in favour of the farmers.

Councillor David Clegg, executive member for environmental services, added: “We want lambing season to progress without any unfortunate incidents in Pendle.

“Our advice is to stick to footpaths where possible and keep dogs on leads at all times around sheep.”