AN ANTI-litter campaigner is trialling a new scheme to encourage dog owners to pick up their pets’ mess.

Linda Stevenson is also calling on volunteers to help spring clean around a Weymouth nature reserve this Sunday.

The dog owner has put a bag dispenser in an area of Lodmoor where she says dog owners not cleaning up after their pets is a big issue.

If it is successful, she wants to talk to Litter Free Dorset about the possibility of rolling out the scheme across a wider area.

Linda said: “Sometimes you go out with three bags and your dog will need four. Other people will just leave their dog’s mess if they think no one’s noticed, but hopefully this will encourage people to be more responsible.”

She has already had good feedback, she added.

“The bag dispenser went up on Saturday and it emptied quickly, plus the area does seem to have improved.

“One of the people who lives nearby approached me to say thank you. Dog owners need to realise it’s not acceptable to just leave it behind.”

Linda got the idea from reading an online article about a woman in Scotland who put a ‘dog poop bag share’ station near her home. That scheme has since won the support of environment charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

But it’s not just dog poo that she wants to banish.

Linda has organised a litter pick around Radipole Lake nature reserve for this Sunday. It comes after a number of two-minute litter picks have been carried out on Weymouth beach, collecting more than 40 bags of rubbish since November.

The litter pick this weekend will take place around the edges of the reserve, including Radipole Park Drive.

Linda said: “There is so much litter in this area. Unfortunately people get takeaways and then seem to leave the cartons behind. If people see litter is already there, they seem to be more likely to leave their own.”

She added: “If you are tempted to throw your litter on the ground, please think about what happens to it once you’ve left it. One of the worst issues on Weymouth beach is wet wipes, which end up in the sea and end up getting tangled up with seaweed.”

The litter pick is taking place from 11am to1pm. Meet at RSPB Radipole Lake.