Pink dog mess creates a stink in Bognor Regis

The unusual colour scheme was a bid to shame owners who failed to clean up after their pets.

Arun District Council, supported by the Hotham Park Heritage Trust, police community support officers and volunteers, launched the day-long blitz in Hotham Park on Tuesday. They coloured some 172 piles of dog mess with a pink biodegradable spray.

Park manager Michael Rowland said: “We hope highlighting the problem with pink dye will raise the profile of dog fouling with other dog walkers and perhaps help to apply peer pressure to get those few persistent dog owners to fall into line. Our aim is that they will feel embarrassed when they see what is being left behind.”

Paul Dendle, Arun’s cabinet member for the environment, helped out. “We want to make dog fouling socially un-acceptable to the entire population of the district. The council is very aware that the majority of dog owners do behave responsibly and clear up after their pets, but a small minority are ruining it for them,” he said.

All the sprayed dog mess was removed the next day.