Complaints have been made about professional dog walkers

Complaints about unruly and large packs of dogs and the increasing number of professional dog walkers prompted the move from the Corporation of London.

It says dog control and dog mess is a particularly emotive issue on Hampstead Heath, north London.

Dogs have also been "chasing cattle, harassing horses and disturbing wildlife" in Epping Forest.

On Ashtead Common, a deer had to be put down after being attacked by a dog.

Walking more [than four] means the dog doesn't get the time that the owner has paid for and it can be dangerous. Professional dog walker Matthew Cornell

And a professional dog walker was at the centre of a "major deer-chasing incident" on Burnham Beeches, said a report to the Open Spaces Committee.

Corporation of London spokesman Jon Logie said the recommendation was an "informal, non-enforceable limit".

While the number of professional dog walkers were increasing on Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, there was no evidence they caused more problems than pet owners, the report found.

Matthew Cornell, owner of London-based professional dog walking service Happy Hounds and Cooler Cats, said: "We don't walk more than four dogs in one go. We don't take lots because you can't control them.

Informal limit

"Walking more means the dog doesn't get the time that the owner has paid for and it can be dangerous."

The Corporation of London owns and manages more than 10,000 acres of open spaces in and around London, most of which are maintained using the corporation's own private funds,

These include Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Highgate Wood, Burnham Beeches, Queen's Park and West Ham Park.

The Royal Parks Agency, which runs Hyde Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens among others, already has an informal limit of four dogs per person.