‘Clear up or face a £1k fine’
Dog fouling is one of the issues frequently complained about by residents. discovers how one council is tackling the problem...
WARNING signs are being put up in ‘hotspot’ areas where dog owners are failing to clear up after their pets.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is rotating the notices around the area, which warn residents that environmental crime officers are monitoring the neighbourhood.
The current fine for dog fouling is £100. But the signs warn the maximum penalty is £1,000.
A district council spokeswoman said areas where signs have been installed will also see an increase in ‘enforcement.’
She added: “We move the signs around hotspot areas and try and cover the whole district over time.
“By moving the signs around people notice them as an addition – that way, they don’t become wallpaper in a location that no one sees anymore.
“We normally leave the signs for at least a month before moving areas and, during this time, increase enforcement within that location.”
A number of signs have been put up in Endon and Brown Edge, where local councillor Joe Porter says residents have been fed-up with dog mess not being picked up. Mr Porter, a ward councillor for the area, along with being a member of Endon with Stanley Parish Council, said: “Like other councillors, dog fouling is one of the top three issues I am told about by residents every week.
“Over the past year, and during lockdown, I would say we have seen a lot of issues around dog fouling. And it’s a real shame for that to be happening in Endon and Brown Edge.
“It is a very small minority of people who are not cleaning up after their dogs.
“The vast majority of people do the right thing and we have a lot of responsible owners.”
Mr Porter says Endon is wellstocked with bins. “According to staff at the council, we have more bins than anywhere else in the Moorlands,” he added.
“I have previously campaigned for more warning signs about dog fouling and I also got an additional bin for the estate by The Plough.
“I hope these signs encourage the minority to do the right thing.”