Owners may have to pay for poop (From Western Telegraph)

Owners may have to pay for poop

11:16am Sunday 9th December 2007 in

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There's nothing more guaranteed to spoil a walk at one of Pembrokeshire's major beauty spots than treading in dog mess.

But soon, owners who don't clean up after their dogs on the Stackpole Estate could be fined, as Pembrokeshire County Council seeks to implement new legislation.

If it succeeds in enforcing dog controls under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, the Stackpole Estate will be the first location in Wales where the rules will apply.

National Trust wardens would be given the power to enforce its provisions. Richard Ellis, the Trust's head warden in Pembrokeshire, said dog fouling was a huge problem, particularly on the paths around the Lily Ponds and on the beaches at Broadhaven South and Barafundle.

"As soon as the dog bans kick in on the Blue Flag beaches elsewhere in the county, we notice a sharp increase in the number of people coming here to walk their dogs," said Mr Ellis.

He agreed that dog owners were largely responsible and clean up after their dogs, but there are a small minority who don't.

"The worst of all situations are those people who clean up the mess, but don't like the idea of carrying it back to the car so they lob it into the bushes or hang it on a fence for our wardens to collect," said Mr Ellis.

The new legislation would allow wardens to fine these people up to £150. Responsible dog owners would welcome the regulations, Mr Ellis said. One of them, Alex Jukes, of Bosherston, admitted that dog mess is a problem on the estate. When he is out walking his dogs he often cleans up mess he finds on the paths as well as his own dogs.

"Excessive dog mess is a problem and if something can be done to control this then that can only be a good thing," he said.