Dogs will be allowed on Douglas Beach all year round as part of a trial being introduced by Douglas Council.

The local authority will also trial allowing dogs in Glen Falcon as it reviews its current restrictions ahead of changes to its byelaws.

The council's byelaws are due to be renewed in 2028. At present, dogs are only permitted on the beach and in certain parks during specific times of the year.

Regeneration and Community Committee chair Natalie Byron-Teare said the success of the trial would depend on responsible dog ownership and people cleaning up after their pets.

'We have looked at dog use in all of our squares,' she said. 'Whilst we didn't feel it was appropriate to open them all, we have chosen one square that we're going to open up as a dog-friendly area.

'We're going to monitor how that goes before looking at each individual park.

'To give a bit of background, our byelaws are due to be reviewed in 2028. They'll be looked at before then so we can make any amendments, and now is a great opportunity to trial these ideas.

'It's really important that these parks and the beach are used by lots of different groups, so it's vital that we're not seeing a lot of dog mess and that owners act responsibly. If this goes well, who knows what we can open up in the future?'

Asked when the trial would begin, Councillor Byron-Teare said: 'It will go through the council on Wednesday, August 12.

'Immediately after that we're hoping to issue a press release confirming the decision.

'As long as it's not abused, we can look at other squares and areas in Douglas that we may be able to open up for dog owners.'