People fined for not picking up dog mess

The Council’s promise to clamp down on dog fouling is producing results as the first fixed penalty notices have been handed out.

Since October and the start of the Council’s zero tolerance approach to dog fouling and littering, officers have been patrolling parks and problem areas.

The Council has teamed up with Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Services to deliver this service. The private company will carry out enforcement work on behalf of the Council, issuing on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to people caught failing to clean up after their dog, or dropping litter, cigarette stubs and chewing gum.

Officers can be in both uniform and in plain clothes, to catch people who don’t pick up their dog’s mess.

Now the first three fixed penalty notices have been issued, at Cherry Tree, Pleasington and Ewood, and information is also coming in from angry residents who have witnessed irresponsible dog owners leaving their dog’s mess on the ground..

It is not just dog fouling which is being targeted – a man has also been given a fixed penalty for urinating in a back alley at Bank Top.

Jim Smith, Executive Member for Environment, said:

We promised we’d act against irresponsible dog owners, and that’s what we’re doing . Letting your dog foul and not picking it up is a disgrace, and I want people who do it to be caught and punished. And if you think it’s OK to urinate in public, think again.”