August 19, 2013 1.56 pm This story is over 126 months old

Saxilby dog owner fined £50 for not cleaning up dog mess

Caught on CCTV: A Saxilby resident caught on CCTV a man failing to pick up after his dog and reported it to the council.

A man who has been failing to clean up after his dog for several years has been finally fined after a resident caught him on CCTV.

West Lindsey District Council has been receiving complaints for years about the same man allowing his dog to foul on public footpaths in the Saxilby village near Lincoln, but has been unable to take action without a credible witness statement.

However, recently one resident caught on CCTV the man failing to pick up after his dog and reported it to the council.

Faced with the CCTV evidence, the man admitted to his behaviour and has been issued with a £50 fixed penalty notice for the offence.

West Lindsey District Council did not disclose the name of the man, and didn’t release the CCTV images used to confront him.

Environmental Protection Officer Nigel Periam said: “We are unable to have sufficient numbers of officers out on the ground to catch them.

“It’s important that members of the public who are willing to stand up to these unsociable dog owners come forward and provide officers with information.

“This is not just a council problem and we can only tackle the issue effectively with help from residents,” he added.

Councillor David Cotton, member for Saxilby ward, added: “Good dog ownership is about clearing up after your dog as much as anything else.

“Dog mess is unpleasant for everyone and it’s a serious health risk as it can cause toxocara canis, which is a terrible disease for a child to get.

“We’ve had one neighbourhood watch warden who was strimming and got a face full.

“It’s just anti-social behaviour and it’s not difficult for people to clean it up and put it into a dog bin or take it home.

“We need people to report incidents in order to help us clean up our communities. It is illegal not to clean up after your pet and there’s no excuse not to do it.”