Knutsford Town Council calls for residents to report dog poo

Using the information of where fouling occurs, the town council will take a targeted approach to tackling the issue in that area as part of a four pronged plan agreed by its Environment Committee.

Under its plan to tackle fouling, the council may take a combination of the following actions:

• Installing temporary signage to remind dog walkers of their responsibility to clean up after their dogs and the potential fines they can receive if they fail to do so.

• Installing signage on existing litter bins so dog walkers know that dog waste can be deposited there

• Installing dog poo bag dispensers so dog walkers don’t have the excuse that they don’t have a bag

• Installing new litter or dog bins if there are none close by

An abandoned poo bag

There are 115 litter bins across Knutsford emptied by Cheshire East Council and these have been mapped by the Town Council ready to tackle the problem. It is no longer the case that dog waste can only be placed in dog bins – bagged dog poo can be deposited in any litter bin.

"Councillors have received an increasing number of complaints from residents about dog fouling and we are working to tackle this," said Cllr Mike Houghton, who is leading the campaign.

"Whilst the majority of dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets, we are looking to take away the common excuses of the minority who are causing the problem.

"We are asking all residents to help us by reporting fouling they come across so we can map the issue and determine the best approach for stopping the fouling in that location"

Residents can report fouling using the free PooperSnooper app which creates a map of fouling reports to help the council understand exactly where fouling is the biggest problem.

Residents can also report fouling by emailing enquiries@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk with a description of the location.