I REFER to the article by Steve Bell under the heading of Tory Talk relating to the issue of dog walking on Waterhall Golf Course in which he claims that 700 to 1,000 dog walkers use the course each day.

This is a preposterous over-exaggeration.

I walk over much of this course three or so days a week throughout the year and I would estimate that an accurate figure would be perhaps rather less than 100.

I have no objection whatsoever to people walking their dogs and am very happy that they engage in this extremely healthy exercise.

If I had one observation to make it would be that a good proportion of these walkers are professional people "controlling" up to ten dogs each, though I have no idea how they keep tabs on free-roaming dogs which seem to defecate at will with no effort being made to clear up after them.

I would point out to Steve Bell that it does not serve the intent of his argument if he uses such absurd exaggerations to further his cause.

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