The mayor of London Sadiq Khan is not launching a pilot scheme that bans dog walking in the borough of Tower Hamlets. A spokesperson for Khan’s office told Reuters the assertion is “completely false”.
According to the claim, seen initially on Twitter, Khan planned to ban people from walking their dogs through Tower Hamlets because the presence of dogs is “offensive to Muslims”. It added that dogs seen in the area after May 1 would be destroyed, and their owners would face a £798 fine (here).
The original tweet has been taken down, though other examples can be seen (here), (here).
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London’s Office told Reuters in an email that the claim is “completely false”.
Reuters also did not find any evidence that any such new scheme is being launched in London.
While dog walking is not restricted, Tower Hamlets Council designates the borough under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, which means it is an offence if an owner fails to clear up mess left by their dog (here).
Other animal welfare services available in the borough can be seen here (here).
VERDICT
False. Sadiq Khan’s office says the claim is false.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.
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