Council to investigate collier pup barking

8:10am Monday 17th November 2008

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A WINSFORD man is under investigation over allegations his dogs are literally barking mad.

David Sharman, of Aston Avenue, said he received a letter from officers at Vale Royal Borough Council ordering him to pay a £5,000 fine or get rid of the dogs after complaints were received about persistent, loud barking.

But the 31-year-old said his Collier puppies Molly and Ozzie are no trouble at all.

He said: “The council has installed recording equipment in neighbouring houses and they reckon they counted 572 barks in seven minutes but there is just no way.

“I’ve just taken three days off work and I only counted 38 barks in a whole day.

“A neighbour stayed with me so he heard it too.

“Someone has obviously got it in for me round here, they are good dogs.”

David, who works as a mechanic, said he has had other problems including having the tyres slashed on a Subaru Impreza and a Vauxhall Vectra he once owned.

“I think someone is jealous of what I have got in the house,” he said.

“I had those two new cars and someone slashed the tyres, I had to get rid of another dog and someone reported me to the council once about a shed I had in the back garden so they came and took it down.

“I had a freezer in it and lost all the food.”

A spokesperson for Vale Royal Borough Council confirmed an investigation into noise nuisance was underway in Aston Avenue but said it could not comment on individual cases.