Advice

[Theworldisfullofgs]

Would appreciate some knowledgeable answers.

Near us are footpaths that go through fields. One of these fields frequently have loose dogs on them, with no collars. They belong to the owners of the field. They are no aggressive but follow everyone and come up to them. Particularly dog walkers with dogs on leads.
Is it OK to have loose dogs out in fields with foot paths?

Legally yes, the landowner can have his dogs loose on his land.
The only reason the law would be involved is if the dogs were aggressive and/or out of control to the dogs.

I have issued CPW for an owners aggressive dog that kept attacking dogs on a public footpath that ran through their field.
Dog had to be muzzled and supervised when on the field.

The owners are not supervising. The let then out and are often out of their own house

If they own the land, the dogs can be loose.

It's their land. Of course their dogs can ruin around it. Anybody who doesn't want to walk through land with loose dogs on it should walk elsewhere. It would be polite to not walk through someone's field at all.

It would be polite to not walk through someone's field at all.

It’s a public footpath. People have every right to walk on it.

From your description I would say that there's not a problem. If the dogs were intimidating or causing a nuisance then maybe. You should be able to use the footpath without being attacked. There have been successful actions against dogs alongside a footpath being so aggressive that it was considered to be intimidating for users.
But if the dogs are loose and not causing problems, it's hard to see what offence is happening. You can have your own dogs running on your own land.

Heartdogs

It's a footpath through a field. There are very few pavements here so practically all walks are through fields. The dogs follow people out onto the roads and under the gates - tge road I live in, frequently.
But the dogs own safety is up to the owners I suppose.

If they own the field they can have the dogs loose on it.