General Discussion

I'd like to alert any dog owners in Dawlish to a strange man, who lurks in bushes/gateways in the Newhay. This morning (7 am) he started taking pictures of me without my permission. What's wrong with this (apart from the obvious intrusion into my personal space) - well you try being a young(ish) single women walking briskly through a park and see how intimidating this feels.

After talking to other dog owners - over the last 24 hours he's been seen around the clock in the Newhay. I challenged what he was doing and he said he is 'collecting evidence for the council'. He has no uniform, and ran out of the park before I could walk over to ask for some identification.

I've reported him to the police this morning - what ever you views on the rights or wrongs of dog ownership/walking - ask yourself this. What has society come to when it's ok to lurk in parks terrifying women?

Its what I have always said this council continues to demonise dogs, remember the lies they told about killing black swans (12 in the last 18 months).
There has to be a hidden agenda somewhere, has anybody else looked on their DTC, web site, there you will find - it takes a bit of finding - a survey that includes questions about dogs. As we all know you can phrase any question to get the answer you want.

Hi there ma'am! I am always around the town taking photograph's. As any press photographer will tell you, "There canne b no law agin it". I would not take the picture of any individual on purpose, but if you happened to be in the frame, "Snap" I got you even if I do not know who it is. On this occasion and at the location you have pointed out, it wasn't me. CCTV is spying on you all of the time, which I consider to be an infringement to civil liberties. I do not recall you protesting about those cameras?

I think its a real shame that the council has to stop dog owners from using the newhay as it's out of the way and not hurting anyone. where next are people to walk and run their dogs.???

As for the guy in the bushes, he has NO right in which to take photos of people. as the guy before on this topic said if your in the frame then he can do nothing about it, why would you want to take pictures in strange locations,? what is their to take pictures of in the newhay?? your probally jsut one of those nosey people ruining it for others.!!! probally hates dogs to!!

Try doing something more constructive and STOP the kids at teh bottom digging up the wooded area so they can ride their bikes through it. their destroying public property. takepictures of that.

Surely the concern here is that a man is possibly following young women around and may well be using his camera and his 'working for the council' as a cover story for more sinister purposes.

Not everything is about the cctv or the curtailment of dog owners rights.

You did exactly the right thing in calling the police and telling them. If you chose to go back there to walk your dog please make sure that someone knows where you are, that you take a mobile phone with you and I'd be tempted to take a camera and take his photo - it might deter him or may possibly (let's hope not) prove to be useful evidence.

Lets not forget that there are some strange people around and whilst I don't subscribe to the 'peadophile on every street corner' theory I am aware of one around (not just conjecture he has convictions) and rapists don't go out with a badge saying 'I'm a rapist, stay away'!!

Have spoken to Teignbridge council dog warden service. They were incredibly helpful - checking on the whereabouts of all their officers before calling me back. The environmental team confirmed that this man was NOT a council employee, as he would have waited for me to approach, and shown me his ID.

lets see if we can get a photo or a description of this man up on this forum.

Ill walk down their most nights now with my dog to see if i can spot him. good idea about taking the camera phone

Lets hope you have good luck Anon and get this guy on camera, but also dont put yourself in a dodgy position if you are alone.Lets hope he doesnt read this site.
My sympathies to lady whose dog was savaged by a Staffordshire in the Manor a few days ago, it has so far cost her £400 in vet bills, I understand that 3 dogs (including hers) have been attacked by the same Staffie so far. She said it was black and was with a Blonde lady, the Police said they cannot act until they know who was in charge of the dog at the time.