THE number of council officers working in the community who can issue fines to people who let their dogs foul in parks and on pavements has been increased by West Devon Borough Council.

The authority’s officers on the ground has risen from one to four. These officers can now issue on-the-spot penalties to those irresponsible owners who do not pick up their dogs mess, this could be up to £80. An environmental protection officer and senior specialist are also on hand to deal with repeat offenders who could receive a maximum fine of up to £1,000 if a case goes to court.

West Devon Borough Council support the Keep Britain Tidy national dog fouling campaign to encourage irresponsible dog owners to clean up after their pets. The campaign features an eye-catching creative of a ‘dog poo fairy’ with the message ‘There’s no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy’.

Cllr Jeff Moody, said: ’We have had a real problem with dog mess recently and it really impacts on our lovely towns, villages and parkland.  Irresponsible owners need to know that this is unacceptable. We will issue fines on-the-spot to those who make no effort to clear up after their dogs.’

West Devon Borough Council’s tips on how to avoid a fine for dog fouling:

· Never let your dog walk too far from you as this makes it difficult to see where they foul

· Dogs will usually foul soon after being let off the lead or out of the car/at the start of a walk so be ready

· Pay attention at all times to what your dog is doing, don’t let a mobile phone distract you

· Always carry ’poo’ bags & a torch for dark evenings

· Dispose of bags in a dog or litter bin, or take it home to dispose of in your household bin

· Not disposing of a ’poo’ bag correctly is also a dog fouling & littering offence

· Keep the dog to the boundaries of sports pitches if possible as even after picking up, residual deposits can be left. Many complaints are received concerning sports pitches from the players

· ALWAYS pick up from maintained grass areas.