WEST Devon Borough Council (WDBC) has increased the number of council officers on the ground in Okehampton in an attempt to deal with the foul issue of dog mess in and around local communities.

The authority will also holding an event in Okehampton in July to highlight the issue of dog fouling.

A spokesperson for WDBC said: ‘Dog mess is unsightly, unpleasant and a health hazard because it can spread disease or in extreme cases, cause blindness. Therefore, please make sure when walking your dog you pick up your dog waste, bag it and bin it.

‘Remember any dog or litter bin can be used. If you are a dog owner, you have a legal and moral duty to clean up every time you dog messes in a public place.’

To overcome this issue, the council is calling on residents to do their part by reporting any incidents, with the location, days and times witnessed.

This means the enforcement officers can try to be in the right place at the right time, to deal with repeat offenders quickly.

WDBC lead member for environment Cllr Mike Benson said: ‘Dog fouling is a really big issue and we need to work closely with the local community to try and stop those who are not looking after our beautiful borough.’

The council is holding a range of upcoming events in Tavistock and Okehampton in partnership with the Dogs’ Trust to share information about responsible dog ownership and it will also cover issues concerning dog fouling.

The event in Okehampton will take place at Market Street Car Park on Tuesday, July 26.

If you want to help the council to stop those blighting the landscape, please report incidents by using the ‘report it online’ form to inform about dog fouling in your area at: www.westdevon.gov/article/7397/Dog-Fouling