Dog fouling reports triple in Ipswich following Star campaign launch
St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils have been urged to fine irresponsible dog owners for not picking up after their pets - Credit: Archant
The number of people reporting irresponsible dog owners in Ipswich has more than tripled following a Star campaign.
In April this year, Ipswich Borough Council received 37 dog fouling complaints, 26 more than the same month in 2014.
A borough spokesman said: “We are very encouraged by these figures and are totally behind the Star’s campaign and want to keep on urging residents to report owners who fail to pick up after their pets.”
However, despite an increase in reports, no fixed penalty notices have been handed out to offenders.
At the start of last month, the Star reported that the number of complaints of dog fouling in the town’s streets had increased significantly since 2010.
But out of the 516 complaints of mess lodged over the past five years, only five fixed penalty notices had been handed out to culprits, four in 2014 and one this year.
As a result, the Star launched the ‘Drop them in it’ drive – encouraging readers to report lazy owners who choose not to pick up their dog’s mess.
Most Read
- 1 Man detained after early morning incident in Ipswich road
- 2 Firefighters called to Ipswich house fire
- 3 Baby and toddler retailer Mamas & Papas set for Ipswich return
- 4 7 roadworks for drivers in Suffolk to be aware of this week
- 5 Woman injured after leg bitten by dog in Ipswich
- 6 Man who stole over £1,000 in power tools jailed for 876 days
- 7 New 99-room Ipswich Travelodge expected to open next year
- 8 Boy, 14, arrested after serious sex attack in Suffolk town is released
- 9 Some East of England Co-op stores unable to take cash
- 10 'Amazing start' for baker who sells treats out of horsebox
Council bosses have reiterated their message that residents should report incidents online or over the phone with as much information as possible, including the name and address (if known) of the person in charge of the dog, a description of the dog and details of the date, time and place of the offence.
To report an incident visit www.ipswich.gov.uk/dogfouling or call 01473 433115.