“We’re watching you” council tells dog owners

“We’re watching you” council tells dog owners

CCTV cameras in the town are now being used to catch dog owners who don’t pick up mess left by their pets. In addition to general crime detection, Shipston Town Council has asked the CCTV monitoring team to provide evidence to enable action to be taken against those who don’t clear up after their dogs.

Mayor, Ian Cooper, explained the decision: “We have reluctantly taken this step following repeated complaints about dog mess. The town council’s contractors are now having to clear dog mess from the town centre on a regular basis, at a cost to our residents. While the majority of dog owners in the town are responsible, we need to gather evidence to take action against those who refuse to scoop the poop, despite our efforts to raise awareness of both the unpleasantness and risk to health of dog mess being left on pavements.”

Failing to pick up after your pooch can mean a fixed penalty notice of £75 and could result in prosecution.