You Poo On The Path - You Pays The Price

Here's a scoop.. UK Local Authorities are issuing more Fixed Penalty Notices for littering than ever before – and more people are paying up when they get caught. New figures released this week included 3,675 Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fouling which were issued in the year 2006/7 - with Local Authorites recovering a notable 84% of dog fouling fine payments.

According to the figures released by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the number of littering fines successfully prosecuted, (the number actually being paid), has risen by 49% over the period from 18,002 in 2005/06 to 26,818 in 2006/07.

From April 2006 the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (2005) provided Local Authorities with a new range of powers.

Old dog byelaws were replaced with a system which allowed Local Authorities and Parish Councils to deal with fouling by dogs. Controversially, as we have seen in recent months, the new law also enabled Local Authorities ban dogs from designated areas, require dogs to be kept on a lead and restrict the number of dogs walked by one person.

From next year the law will also give Local Authorities, rather than police, sole responsibility for stray dogs.