ON Friday in the Bishop’s park in Bishop Auckland, I was walking my dog when I came across three women and three or four children and three dogs off their leads, despite a sign saying dogs must be kept on leads at all times.

I shouted to them to put their dogs on leads and asked if they’d seen the sign. I received the reply that the sign said all “wildlife”, to which I replied that she was an idiot. By the way, I would pay good money to see her try to put a lead on a squirrel.

The upshot is that my dog was attacked by two of hers and I didn’t even get an apology. She was more upset that I’d called her an idiot in front of her children who were about 50 yards away and probably couldn’t hear a fair comment.

Denis Sullivan, Bishop Auckland.