A RESIDENT of Mathews Way has become the first offender to fall foul of Stroud District Council’s zero tolerance policy towards those who fail to clean up after their dogs.

The guilty individual was hit with a £75 fixed penalty notice after a neighbour photographed a dog bespoiling a garden in the road in Stroud on June 11.

After failing to clear up the mess, the owner was issued with the fine by an environmental enforcement officer from the district council.

They had previously been warned by SDC about dog fouling following complaints from residents but it was only when a neighbour produced photographic evidence of an offence that enforcement officers were able to take action.

The fine, which is the first to be served since the tough new dog control orders were introduced by SDC in December, has now been paid in full.

Punishable offences specified within the control orders include failing to clean up dog mess, not keeping a dog on a lead in a designated area and allowing a dog to enter restricted land.

The orders were brought in after a 12-week consultation, which showed that 75 per cent of residents surveyed believed dog fouling was a problem in their neighbourhood.

SDC said the fact this was the first fine to be issued since the new control orders came into force reflected the difficulty the enforcement officers had of being in the right place at the right time.

However, the council said the case was also an example of good teamwork as the problem had originally been reported to one of its housing officers, before being followed-up by the environmental protection team.