Nottingham dog owners who fail to clear up after their pets will be named and shamed as part of a city council crackdown.
Clean-up crews from the council picked up 14,232 dog poos, 5,920 fly-tips and a staggering 6,205 tonnes of rubbish last year.
The figures have led to new policies on dog mess and litter, because the council says it is having to spend more and more taxpayers’ money keeping streets clean.
The cost of picking up after irresponsible dog owners in 2016 was more than £70,000 while clearing up the 6,000 illegal fly-tips cost taxpayers more than £300,000.
Although the number of fly-tips is falling – the council is dealing with more dog mess than ever because it has bought two extra street cleaning machines, called FIDOs, which are designed to clean the much specifically.
It costs the council an average of £56 to clear up each fly-tip, and £5 per dog poo.
And the council says it is now taking a harder line on dog fouling, by introducing a new rule which allows Community Protection Officers to fine dog walkers £70 on the spot if they don’t have bags with them to clear up after their pets.
The tactic has been used elsewhere in Notts, but never before in the city.
The council says it will also soon begin publishing the names of people who have been prosecuted for environmental crimes including dog fouling, fly tipping and littering.
Last year, more than 30 people were found guilty in court and fined up to £989.
Pete Mitchell, Chief Community Protection Officer for Nottingham, said: “We know the vast majority of people are law-abiding and sensible when it comes to our environment. But, for the small minority that fail to clean up after their dog, drop litter or dump rubbish, we will use all of our available enforcement powers.”
Now, the council wants the levels of cleanliness to improve further, with the help of local people.
Councillor Nicola Heaton, portfolio holder for community services, said: “I want to encourage everyone to think about what they can do to improve their local area- if everyone could pick even one piece of litter and put it in the bin, think of the difference we could make in our streets and parks.”
She added: “I feel passionately that we need to keep the city as clean as possible – and most people in Nottingham feel the same way.
“No one wants to live in a rubbish tip – littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping are illegal and unacceptable. That’s why we take these offences seriously, fining over 3,000 people last year.”
People wanting to report problems with persistent dog fouling or fly-tipping are asked to contact the council on 0115 915 2020.
