A council has warned that it may struggle to meet the costs of proposed new laws to crack down on irresponsible dog owners.

Aberdeenshire Council is calling on the costs of implementing the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill to be met by separate funding.

The Bill, which is being put forward by SNP MSP Christine Grahame, aims to modernise the law on the control of dogs.

As part of that it sets out a new system of "dog control notices" - or dog Asbos - which would allow local authorities to impose measures on dog owners if they have failed to keep their animal under control.

David Robertson, Aberdeenshire Council's environmental health manager, is due to give his views on the proposed new legislation to MSPs on Holyrood's Local Government Committee this morning.

But in a submission to MSPs ahead of that he warned: "I do not think the council can meet the financial costs associated with the Bill.

"The costs should be met through separate funding, perhaps on a temporary basis."

Mr Robertson also warned that if the proposals become law it could lead to a surge in complaints about dogs, which could "put even greater stress" on the council's resources.

Financial notes that accompany the Bill estimate that local authorities will need to spend a maximum total of £27,200 training staff in the new legislation - the equivalent of £850 per dog warden.

And it is thought that the administrative costs of issuing dog control notices will be just over £4,000 a year.

However it is not anticipated that new staff will be needed, given councils already employ dog wardens.

But Mr Robertson said in his submission that the estimates do "not accurately reflect the potential cost implications to this council".

As well as establishing dog control notices, Ms Grahame's Bill would enable a local authority to apply to a court to have a dog destroyed if it considers the animal to be out of control and dangerous.

It aims to extend the liability of a person where a dog is dangerously out of control to all places, and would also provide Holyrood ministers with a power to establish a national database of dog control notices.