Colour co-ordinated blitz on dog poo in Cumbria
Last updated at 11:45, Thursday, 02 February 2012
If you spot a council workman painting dog poo in west Cumbria don’t be alarmed – it’s part of a cunning plan.
Copeland Council has begun colour-coding canine excrement in a bid to catch the culprits.
A team of dog dirt spotters are patrolling notorious fouling blackspots and painting any fresh waste.
When they return to the same location later in the day, any new faeces is painted a different colour.
The reasoning is that if they can accurately identify what time of day the fouling is taking place, they can close the net on the miscreants.
The system is being used on a path near Hensingham Primary School which is used as a dog toilet to the disgust of parents, staff and pupils. The school has successfully stopped dog walkers using school grounds, but has been powerless to stop them using the nearby path.
Headteacher Nick Fish called it “an objectionable health hazard’’.
“It’s not just the dog fouling that’s a problem but also the amount of litter being dropped,” he said.
“The area looks a mess and is not a pleasant route to school for our pupils and their parents. Parents regularly come into school to complain about it.
“Many of our children come along the path on bicycles and scooters, and a number of our parents push prams.
“There is so much dog mess it is very difficult not to get it on the wheels.
He added: “Many other places in Cumbria have managed to stop dog fouling, it seems ridiculous that we still have such a problem near a school.”
Pat Graham, Copeland’s corporate director for people and places, said: “Dog fouling is something which really affects local residents, particularly when it’s near children’s areas.
“We are extremely keen to tackle it and try to find those responsible.
“We were told by the school that there are problems with this, particularly in the nearby alleyway.
“We have increased our patrols and monitoring in the area, to stand the best chance of finding the culprits. Anyone seen allowing their dog to foul and not clearing up will be issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice.”
First published at 11:30, Thursday, 02 February 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
I clean up after my dog everytime I take him out, but it's amazing how many people don't. It's not easy to catch the irresponsible owners but painting poo is totally unbelievable, what a waste of public money. As for the comment from LD, is he/she going to apply for the job?
As for the dog wardens they should be made to spend a whole day in one area, but not sitting in the van where they can be clearly seen.View all 34 comments on this article
Have your say
Wouldn't it be cheaper to put up a couple of cameras, taking pics every 10 or 20 seconds, then have someone analyze the results later? Hang on, this is a council. They're the same the world over.
Posted by Steve on 3 March 2012 at 08:49