Is banning dogs from a beauty spot cafe a bit ruff?

The National Trust has put the pets in the doghouse at its White Cliffs of Dover visitor centre because some have stolen food and caused disruption by barking.

The policy has led to complaints online, and some owners KentOnline spoke to at the Langdon Cliffs site this week questioned why the rule is in place.

Trust bosses say dogs have caused “a number of incidents” in the past, leaving customers “feeling uncomfortable”.

The ban is only for indoors and dogs are still welcome at the outdoor parts of the centre, for example the seated terrace.

It is a long-established policy although it was recently brought up on social media,

But Dawn Hawkes, a lifetime member of the trust, says the policy puts her off visiting, even though her membership allows free entry.

The trust charges non-members £6 to leave their car at the site, which features tiered parking at the back of the visitor centre.

“It’s a real shame you don’t allow dogs,” Ms Hawkes wrote online.

“I was told last time to leave them outside while I ordered. I’m definitely not going to be doing that.

“My dogs possibly have cleaner paws than most walkers and they don’t sit on the seats.”

Jane Coratti, of Dover, who has two pomchi dogs, Raja and Meeko, told KentOnline this week how she also thinks it “turns people away”.

“I don’t agree that they don’t allow dogs in,” she said.

But Ms Coratti said she was still willing to visit the cliffs because her dogs are allowed with her on the centre’s outside terrace.

Married couple Matt and Lizzie Cragg, of Elms Vale in Dover, were enjoying the area this week with border collie Chip when KentOnline visited.

They said they both understand why dogs are not allowed in the cafe.

Mrs Cragg said: “They can cause mayhem, but it's a bit frustrating when one of us has to go indoors and one of us has to stay outside.

“It's just a little bit of an inconvenience but I can understand.

“It's a faff if they go to the toilet on the floor. So I get it.”

Mr Cragg said: “It doesn't bother me too much in general. I'm used to it. I've worked in hospitality for the last eight to nine years, so most indoor settings aren't dog friendly.

“It's a nice bonus when they are.

“But I think probably outdoor settings like this, where there are a lot of dog walkers, I think it kind of should be adaptable to that.

“Would I like it if they would allow my dog in? Yes, absolutely. But as long as there's still space, at least allocated outside, then we can make do.”

Sonio Scoones and her son Nick, from Sittingbourne, were walking their cockerpoo Bluebell.

She said owners should never allow their dogs to cause disruption anywhere, adding: “If my dog was acting like that I wouldn't go into a restaurant.

“I would accept the ban only if it's dogs that are misbehaving. You shouldn't tar all dogs with the same brush.”

But Sandra Jordan agreed with the policy, and praised the trust’s decision.

“Not everyone is a fan of dogs and they can be intimidating for some,” she said.

“Some owners do not control their dogs as well as they should.”

Those in charge of the centre have responded to the comments left online, saying they had previously tried allowing dogs several years ago but had to “abandon” the idea.

“Each time we tried, we had a number of incidents, such as dogs trying to take food from other visitors’ tables, dogs putting their paws up onto the servery counter, as well as some persistently barking,” they said.

“This resulted in visitors feeling uncomfortable and we received a number of complaints. As a result, we had to abandon the trials.

“We would love to provide a dog area for people, but at the moment we don’t have the space.”

In a further statement, the trust said its “small cafe space is simply not suitable for dogs”.

“However, we work hard across the trust to continually enhance the facilities and access for visitors with dogs,” it said.

“At White Cliffs this includes outdoor picnic tables where owners can sit with their dogs under cover, water bowls, bins available for dog waste and plenty of dog-friendly walks.

“Our goal is to strike the right balance to ensure everyone enjoys their visit and to warmly welcome those with and without dogs.”