Clean up afteryour pet or face prosecution

Rother District Council has thrown its weight behind the ‘We’re Watching You’ campaign, launched by the charity Keep Britain Tidy in an attempt to reduce the menace of dog mess.

Research has shown dog walkers are more likely to let their pets foul at night and in the winter months, when they feel they can’t be seen under cover of darkness.

This week, posters were being displayed at dog poop hotspots around the district, bearing glow-in-the-dark eyes which act as a warning to irresponsible owners – day or night.

Areas around the country which joined the campaign last year saw an average reduction of 46 percent in levels of dog fouling.

Council officers will monitor levels of dog mess while enforcement officers will keep an eye out for anyone leaving uncollected poop, who can be prosecuted or issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75.

Rother councillor Ian Hollidge said: “The vast majority of dog owners act responsibly by clearing up after their pet and putting waste in the nearest bin.

“However, those who leave dog mess in our streets, parks and other public areas are inflicting on the rest of us something which is not only dirty but potentially dangerous. It’s unacceptable.

“Evidence from other areas has shown that people are far more likely to clean up after their dog if they feel they’re being watched, so hopefully we can see a similar improvement here, allowing the district to become a cleaner, safer place.”

The first areas to be targeted as part of the campaign include the Undercliffe, Egerton Park and St George’s Road areas of Bexhill. Anyone who wants to make a complaint about dog fouling can report it online at www.rother.gov.uk or by calling the council on 01424 787000.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.bexhillobserver.net

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bexhillobserver

3 Follow us on Twitter @BexhillObs

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Bexhill Observer – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.