A popular dog obedience class which has been meeting in a Lothian town hall for five years without complaint has suddenly been locked out – for health and safety reasons.

Midlothian Council has banned dogs from all its buildings, saying they are not "compatible" with other uses, such as lunch clubs.

This has left 40 dogs and owners with nowhere to meet, after they were thrown out of Loanhead Town Hall.

Helen Watson, assistant trainer, has been running the classes with Yvonne Walker, an internationally renowned trainer. She said they were shocked by the decision.

She said: "We hold the classes twice a week, and we've never had any complaints.

"The caretaker loved having us, and was really sad when we had to leave.

"Midlothian Council is not providing any facilities for local people to train their dogs. What I can't understand is what they'll do when the dogs are out of control.

"I think the health and safety reasons are non-existent. We make sure the hall is spotless after we use it. Children are welcome. We encourage all the family to come along so they can see the kind of training the dogs get."

She said the classes were run to Kennel Club standards, and cover basic training as well as advanced skills such as agility. The groups is now struggling to find a permanent home.

"At the end of the day, we're helping people out and keeping people safe," she said. "It's important people know how to train their dogs."

Dog owner Margaret Henderson, 32, from Livingston, said she had travelled to the classes regularly for two years. She said they had made a huge difference to the behaviour of her pet Doberman.

She said: "I'm really upset and disappointed by this decision. I think there's a vital need for this type of training. It's really poor that the council can't accommodate these classes, when there are clearly problems with people not controlling their dogs.

"These are small classes and they are very well run. The hall is always left immaculate."

A spokesman for Midlothian Council stood by the ban.

He said: "It is felt that this type of use is not compatible with the facilities also being used for activities such as lunch clubs, blood transfusion, fitness classes, etc."

He said the council was currently reviewing the use of Loanhead Town Hall and other council buildings, and would be consulting the public.

An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman added that it did not have a blanket ban on dogs, but would look at requests on an individual basis.

She said: "We wouldn't normally allow dogs into a working environment, but for some council buildings there may be exceptions."

In May, Lord Provost George Grubb hosted the city's first ever civic reception for dogs in the Lothian Chambers, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first appearance of Greyfriars Bobby.