First the council tried spray painting dog mess to tackle dog fouling, now they have decided to paint bright yellow paw prints on footpaths to point out bins.

Cambs Times: Dog fouling. Follow the paw prints to bag and bin it. Bright yellow paw prints will soon be appearing on a footpath near you in Fenland District Council’s latest attempt to curb dog fouling.Dog fouling. Follow the paw prints to bag and bin it. Bright yellow paw prints will soon be appearing on a footpath near you in Fenland District Council’s latest attempt to curb dog fouling. (Image: Archant)

As part of a six month Fenland District Council campaign on dog fouling, bright yellow paw prints will be appearing along pavements leading to bins in fouling hotspots. The bins will carry matching stickers. The special biodegradable paint is semi-permanent, fading after six to eight weeks.

The council’s Street Scene officers can issue £75 fixed penalty notices to anyone who fails to pick up their dog’s mess, allows it to be in a gated children’s play area or refuses to put it on a lead when requested.

Councillor Peter Murphy, FDC’s Cabinet member responsible for the environment, launched the initiative in Furrowfields, Chatteris, one of the district’s worst affected areas.

The campaign will run for six months with a series of targeted areas. Other parts of Chatteris, the Manor Field in Whittlesey, March’s West End Park and Bath Road in Wisbech are next in line.

Other locations will be chosen on the basis of feedback from town and parish councils, police, The Landscape Group and the public.

Cllr Murphy said: “Dog mess is one of the things that we get most complaints about. People who fail to pick it up are selfish and antisocial. We do have the power to fine offenders and use it where we can but for obvious reasons catching them in the act is difficult.

“So it’s more a question of educating people and finding ways to encourage them to behave responsibly. What we’re saying is ‘bag it and bin it’. This reinforces that message.”

Extra support in tackling dog fouling is being provided by Alderman Jacobs school pupils, who are concerned about dog messes on the school run.

They are designing a poster to promote the national “Big Scoop” campaign that has been launched by the Dogs Trust.