A DOG-LOVER was in for the surprise of his life when he was ordered to spend 10 nights locked up in Strangeways in this bizarre tale from March of 1979.
For it turns out Mr John Eccles, from Burnley, was barking up the wrong tree when he took his beloved beagle Sam for a walk in Scott Park - which at the time was a strictly dog-free zone.
And when the father-of-two refused to pay the £10 fine for breaking the rules, he was sent straight to the notorious prison where he stayed on a wing with some of the North West's most prolific criminals.
Upon his release crowds of supporters lined the streets to give him a hero's welcome home for standing up to the 'anti-dog' movement.
His wife Elaine Eccles said: "I feel incredibly proud of John."
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