LETTER: Woman fined for Barrowford dog fouling

I agree with their sentiments that dog fouling is disgusting and very unpleasant for all users of the playing fields, including sports teams.

Pendle Council’s Environmental Crime Team are aware of problems with dog fouling at a number of our playing fields. We encourage the football clubs to report problems on the pitches they use to us. In response we make regular, high visibility patrols – and not just during office hours.

The team also works at weekends when they often patrol around the playing fields used by our local sports teams.

Over the summer we carried out extra patrols around Bullholme to address the dog fouling issue on the road leading up to the playing fields. And just two weeks ago issued a fixed penalty to a woman who allowed her dog to foul on Bullholme playing fields. Like other dog owners in the area, she was parked on the car park and stayed in her car while her dog did its business on the playing fields. She said she was unaware her dog had fouled, but that’s just not an acceptable argument and she now has a £75 fine to pay.

So please be assured, we are tackling dog fouling on all Pendle’s playing fields.

I’d just like to add a “thank you” to the Pendle residents who report dog fouling to us. Their information helps us to target our patrols to where they are needed. Anyone can report dog fouling by calling (01282) 661743 or by filling in a form on our website at www.pendle.gov.uk/forms. Please give as much information as you can, including a description of the dog and the owner and the times when the fouling tends to happen.

DAVID ALEXANDER

Senior Environmental Crime Officer Pendle Council