Cameras ruled out in dog fouling fight

AN Angus councillor hoping to stamp out dog fouling has been told mobile CCTV can’t be brought into the fight because it would be an intrusion into the privacy of locals.

Montrose independent councillor Tommy Stewart said he was surprised to be told the problem is not regarded as a serious enough crime to bring in temporary cameras to catch offenders.

Residents in one hotspot have now told him they plan to buy their own cameras to try to film those who let their pets foul paths and gardens daily.

Mr Stewart said: “This is the bane of many people’s lives. CCTV is supposed to be there to help catch incidents of criminal activity. It’s used for things like anti-social behaviour, but apparently this isn’t serious enough to put up temporary cameras. It’s costing the council an absolute fortune to put people out and clean up after dog owners who won’t do it themselves. The area around Wellington Place, Links Avenue and Union Street is terrible — it’s like a circuit —but it’s a problem that’s all over.”

An Angus Council spokesperson said: “We recognise dog fouling is both a danger to health and unpleasant. While using CCTV for covert surveillance is possible, the council will have to comply with the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000.

“As such, we aim to tackle the scourge of dog fouling through other measures. We also ask the public to report anyone who they see not cleaning up after their dog.”