A Nottinghamshire woman has been ordered to pay more than £800 after failing to pick up after her dog.
Bridget Smith was taken to court by Mansfield District Council after a neighbourhood warden spotted her walking off and leaving mess left by a pet she had with her at Tuxford Court on March 15 this year.
She was prosecuted under the council’s Public Spaces Protection Order, legislation which allows a council to take people to court for breaching set rules.
Smith, 27, of Newark Way, did not indicate a plea and the allegation was proved in her absence at South Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrates fined her £440, ordered her to pay prosecution costs of £377.87 and a victim surcharge of £44.
After the case, Councillor Bill Drewett, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities, said: “Dog owners need to understand that allowing their pets to foul public places in this district will simply not be tolerated and they can face a very costly outcome for a totally avoidable situation.
“Nobody likes stepping in dog mess and it can be a serious public health risk. The Public Spaces Protection Order is for exactly that – to protect public spaces – and, as such, people walking dogs in Mansfield have a legal responsibility to carry the means to pick up their pet’s mess.”
