Residents are concerned at the ‘disrespectful’ levels of dog fouling in an area of Dorchester, as the council look to add additional resources to address the problem.

People in Poundbury have noticed an increase in dog fouling in recent months, with residents calling for the landowners to install more litter bins in the area.

Leaving dog waste without cleaning it up can be harmful to the environment and others. Welfare charity, Blue Cross said that canine faeces can contain parasites that, if not cleaned up, can spread to grass. If this grass is eaten it can cause pregnant cattle to lose their young, as well as blindness in humans.

Under a Public Space Protection Order, local authorities can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 if someone is caught not cleaning up their dog's waste.

Additionally, if taken to court, the owner could be fined a maximum of £1,000.

One resident in the area said: "I've noticed the problem getting worse here in recent months on the Great Field. They should put up more signs in the area but the Duchy restrict them- they used to have those small black signs."

Another added: “It’s not everyone, but I’ve watched some people just let it happen outside their neighbour’s home and just walk off, it’s just disrespectful. There needs to be more bins in place.”

One resident who had lived around the UK and abroad said they had only seen a problem of this level in Paris before- saying that the levels were 'surprising.'

Simon Standish, current co-chair of the Poundbury Residents Association said: “We are aware of this issue and it’s something that appeared in our recent survey- and this is coming from both owners and non-owners of dogs.

“Due to the size of the respective population of Poundbury it’s inevitable that some, and we do emphasise that it is a small minority, don’t clean it up.

“I know people would be reluctant, but my advice to anyone that sees dog fouling occurring would be to give them a friendly tap on the shoulder.   

“This is an issue about the current provisions of litter bins in the area,” he added.

Mr Standish said that it would be an overstatement to say that the issue was just contained to certain areas but admitted that levels were ‘prevalent on the Great Field.’

He went on to say that the issue of dog fouling will be brought to the attention of the landowners, the Duchy of Cornwall, in a meeting with them sometime in February.

Dorset Council recently abandoned its patrols and stopped responding to dog fouling issues for four months due to ‘pressure on services,’ however according to a spokesperson for Dorset Council, these activities are set to resume ‘shortly.’

The spokesperson said: “ Due to recent short staffing issues in our Animal Welfare and Dog Control team, we took the difficult decision to temporarily suspend dog fouling investigations and proactive patrols. However, we are resuming these activities shortly, and will be recruiting additional resource soon.

“The problem of dog fouling remains a huge challenge for local authorities, with effective enforcement difficult for many reasons. However, we would politely note that it is the responsibility of dog owners to pick up their dog’s waste, and we would encourage that majority of responsible dog owners to continue reporting instances of when the minority spoil it for others,” they added.

To find out more about the council’s dog warden service, visit https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dog-warden-service