There is no hotter topic than dog-fouling. Philip Sedgwick talks to those with the unenviable task of trying to keep our pavements clean

DOG fouling provokes a strong reaction, from both dog lovers and those not so keen on our four-legged friends. Council minutes, school newsletters, and church circulars all contain pleas to dog owners. It is consistently among the top complaints addressed to MPs, councillors, and local authorities, and it regularly spills onto the letters pages of newspapers, including the D&S Times.

With a national dog population estimated at seven million producing 1,000 tonnes of excrement every day, the yearly clean-up bill is a staggering £25m. In addition to the obvious problems of aesthetics and smell, fouling can cause toxocariasis, which can lead to blindness in humans and may affect farm animals. Horror stories abound of children having to change their shoes on arrival at school.

Under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, failing to clear up after your dog will land you a £50 fixed penalty, which, if not paid, can increase to £1,000 at court. But the long poop-scoop of the law doesn't always work well, so lots of other remedies are proposed, from citizen patrols to luminous warnings on the pavement.

And this problem is not limited to large towns. The reality is that many irresponsible pet owners allow their charges to spoil parks, footpaths and public places in rural communities as well.

At Richmondshire council, the previously privatised dog warden service reverted to in-house last year. Sally Dixon has managerial responsibility, and Lee Richardson is the dog warden. Other staff help provide an out-of-hours service, but it is not a large team.

Complaints are mostly about strays or fouling; bites and dangerous dogs are referred to the police.

Turning to dog fouling, Sally’s eyes narrow and she becomes serious. They received 117 recorded complaints last year, but she believes that could be just the tip of the iceberg, the top of the... "When I read of some complaints, I am surprised," she says, "as we have not always been told about the problem.

“The public are our eyes, if they tell us we will conduct patrols.”

Complainants are offered a "fouling diary", which is completed and returned for the team to investigate. Sally will visit, take a witness statement, and may issue a fine.

Both Lee and Sally enjoy their jobs, but life is not always straightforward. Lee says: “One report turned out to be a neighbour dispute, so I did not take any action.”

The team work hard giving out leaflets, knocking on doors and conducting high-visibility patrols. Sally says: “ We hope to do more work in schools; it is an area we are working on.”

Excuses are many and varied: “I don’t have a bag...it’s not my dog...I didn't see it...I was going back to get it...” No matter how inventive, all still attract a fine.

Lee recently confronted a young girl who produced tobacco pouch, opened it, took out the tobacco, and promptly picked up the mess with the empty pouch.

The team responds to reports of strays within four hours and the policy of re-homing the unfortunate pooches with animal charities has so far been 100 per cent successful. Owners are charged to reclaim their pets: £62.50, then £17 for the first day and £12 for each subsequent day.

Sally is puzzled by owner’s attitudes to getting their precious pets back. She said: “Some are over the moon; others scream that we have stolen their dog or they threaten us.

“It's taxpayers money, so why should the public pay?

Checks on the database of stray animals reveal surprising results; dogs found in Richmondshire have originated from as far afield as the Czech Republic, Germany, and once even Canada.

“We would really like to get young people on board because they are the future," says Sally. "If they are educated properly, it will reduce the problem in the long-term.”

Over at Hambleton council, Alan Scargill is Sally’s counterpart, and Dave Granger is the dog warden. They, too, reverted to an in-house service last year.

Displaying a passion for his profession, Alan believes the law is inadequate. He says: “Fines are £60 for a discarded tab end and £50 for dog fouling – that does not seem right, especially given offenders are difficult to detect.”

The team is adept at working with the public, encouraging communities to design and display their own posters, although it does have drawbacks. Alan explains: “In Topcliffe, we put out 24 posters, designed by kids and we have had no complaints since, whereas in Great Ayton, we put out 24 posters and they were all destroyed overnight.

“It was very disappointing but on the positive side, the community there is appreciative of our efforts and we get a lot of support.”

Like Richmondshire, Hambleton runs a micro-chipping service and has a similar policy of re-homing strays. Dog warden Dave spends a significant amount of time as a visible presence out on patrol.

With most owners acting responsibly, the dog bins throughout the authority are largely well used. But Alan says: "Many dog owners know the law and some will work around it – they don't have concerns about the environment.

“I recently spoke to somebody and asked them if they had a bag. All they had was a carrier bag – a Woolworths bag. How old would that be?”

Often insulted, Alan recently received a torrent of abuse. He has been threatened with a restraining order and with solicitors' action, but, he says, he he won’t be put off.

He insists: "We have a duty to prevent dog fouling; all we ask for is the public to help us do our job.”

To report an offender or request the dog warden service in Richmond, ring 01748-829100 or visit richmondshire.gov.uk; in Hambleton, call 01609-779977 or visit hambleton.gov.uk.