Dog owners could be fined for letting their pets off their leads in parts of a town after people complained about feeling intimidated.
The pets will have to be kept on a lead when visiting pedestrianised areas around the Market Place in Great Yarmouth, or risk being fined £100.
Norfolk Police called for the measures to be introduced as part of a revised Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) following reports of people feeling unsafe.
Visitors to the market say the new rules are a good idea, but some dog owners say it should not be compulsory if they have well-trained animals.
The new PSPO applies from where the pedestrianised area starts at the southern end of the town centre, at Regent Road, King Street and Market Gates.
It would cover the Market Place area through to the northern end at Priory Plain.
While there are on-lead restrictions elsewhere, such as at beaches and play parks, Great Yarmouth is one of the few places in Norfolk to have a PSPO covering such a wide area of a town centre.
People face on-the-spot fines of £100, reduced to £80 for early payment, with court fines of up to £1,000 for non-payment.
James Wilson, head of environment and sustainability at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said they wanted to "make people feel that they can come into town, feel safe and not be fearful of a dog running loose".
He added that some were "quite big dogs".
Insp Andy Tomlinson from Norfolk Police said the new rules aimed to promote "responsible down ownership, avoid unwanted encounters and to help ensure the area remains a calm, safe and welcoming space for everyone".
"The majority of concerns relate to dog-on-dog interactions, where dogs running loose approach dogs on leads,"
Kim who was visiting the market with her dogs Cody and Jane, said she thought all dogs "should be on leads as you never know when it is going to go after something, get run over or bite somebody".
She also said she has had problems with other dogs off leads growling and approaching Cody.
Nigel Sheldrake, who was visiting from Essex, said: "I think it is a good idea... keeps people safe, especially children and other dogs; we have two small dogs so know what the are like.
"At least if they are on a lead you can grab them."
Deek Lynch, a dog trainer from London, said he understood why the council wanted the rules, but he let his dog Ziggy run loose as he has trained it to be behaved in urban environments.
"It depends on the level of skill for the dog,"
he said.
"When you have brought up a dog on the lead all the time, it is reckless. It depends on the dog. It might be safer if all dogs are on a lead but it shouldn't be compulsory."
People not picking up dog poo is the main complaint the council receives and figures show the number of reports have risen from 140 in 2022-2023 to 170 in 2024-2025.
Wilson said it was the "responsible thing" to pick dog mess up and dispose of it properly.
"Leaving dog mess around means it could be walked into people's houses, kids may end up playing with it and buggies get pushed through it,"
he said.
Other elements of the order, which has to be renewed every three years, remained the same as before, such as rules around dog fouling.
Restrictions also include dogs being banned from locations like cemeteries, play areas and parts of the beach in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston during the summer months.
The council's cabinet agreed to implement the new PSPO at a meeting this week and it will come into force in the coming weeks.