Since he was elected Councillor Andrew Atkinson has been involved in looking for ways to deal with the problems of irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to create mess in public places.

At the meeting of Ross Town Council on Monday, February 13th, he asked for the council's support for a scheme to reduce incidents of dog fouling around the town. He suggested that volunteers dog wardens be appointed, possibly dog walkers themselves, who would know the parts of the town which are worst affected, and could police particular areas.

He explained the scheme would not be simply about fining people who allowed their dogs to foul, but about raising awareness of the problem, encouraging more people to pick up after their dogs and providing bags. The wardens would be expected to hand out special bags to owners to encourage them to clear up after their animals.

Although the wardens would be volunteers they would have to go through an official application and vetting process before taking to the streets.

Cllr Atkinson said he would be planning a meeting for volunteers at a date and venue to be decided on. The council unanimously gave their support for the scheme.

When Councillor Atkinson was campaigning for election he was shocked by how many people complained about the dog fouling issue and has been working to see a solution. He believes that there needs to be action such as more fines and he would also like to see an increase in fines from £80 to £1000.

When Councillor Atkinson highlighted the problem in an interview with a television film crew he said:?"Other areas have fines in place of £1000 and have no issue, ours is £80 and we have a problem, it's simply not enough of a deterrent," said Andrew ?"It doesn't matter how high the fine is, no one should complain that it is too high, because if you pick up after your dog it costs you nothing."

Anyone interested in joining the volunteer warden scheme should contact Councillor Atkinson on 07914 211631.