Residents in North Somerset are being encouraged to report irresponsible dog owners as part of a crackdown on dog fouling in the area.

North Somerset Council is running a month of action during March with uniformed officers out and about across the district talking to dog walkers and making sure they are complying with the local Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

It has also published a “guide to dog ownership in North Somerset” with all you need to know if you own a dog or are thinking of getting one.

Anyone believed to have breached a PSPO can be fined £75 which must be paid within 14 days. If it isn’t, the council can prosecute. In a recent case failing to pick up after his dog landed one owner with a bill of more than £4,000 after he was caught on camera by a local resident.

PSPOs came into force 18 months ago, replacing the previous dog control orders. They apply to every public open space in North Somerset, including places where the public has to pay to enter.

The orders state that if you are in charge of a dog you must as a minimum:

• keep your dog(s) under close control at all times
• carry a poo bag
• bag it and bin it – please don’t leave bags hanging in trees or bushes
• keep your dog(s) out of children’s play areas.

There are also orders for specific locations if you are in charge of a dog. These include:

• not allowing your dog(s) to go on land where they are banned, for instance Weston-super-Mare’s Marine Lake and Drove Road Recreation Ground
• keeping your dog(s) on a lead in set areas, for instance Clevedon Promenade, Portishead Marina and Grove Park in Weston-super-Mare.

If you see a dog in a controlled area breaching a PSPO you are encouraged to report it online at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/pspodogs. The “guide to dog ownership in North Somerset” can also be found here.