A freedom of information request by Weston Mercury has revealed that since North Somerset Council introduced new regulations to tackle dog fouling and other problems, only two fixed penalty notices have been issued for dog fouling. The council promised to take a tough stance following the introduction of the orders in November last year to tackle the problem, but nothing seems to have changed.

This situation has not been helped by problems with the contract to empty Weston Town Council’s dog bins, which has lead to several missed collections and overflowing bins.  If dog waste bins are found to be full, the normal litter bins can be used instead.  Dog waste should not be left on the floor outside of the bins.

Local councillor, Robert Payne, said: “This problem, along with littering, and the general dirtiness of our streets are probably what people complain to me about more than anything else. It is totally unacceptable that people are getting away with this sort of behaviour. It is essential that both councils address this to get these basic issues right.”