OWNERS who allow their dogs to defecate in public places without cleaning up after them will be prosecuted if caught in the act.

Alongside a call to Òname and shameÓ, local people are being urged to ÒsnitchÓ in order to bring offenders to justice.

The warning follows a damning attack on irresponsible dog owners by members of East Hampshire District CouncilÕs north west area community committee whose chairman, Jerry Janes, described any failure to pick up after animals as Òscandalously bad behaviourÓ.

In a stark reminder to owners Mr Janes pulled no punches: ÒDog faeces can make people blind.Ó

He highlighted the danger of children playing in grass where dogs have defecated. They only had to rub their eyes, he said, to cause a loss of sight.

ÒNot cleaning up after your dog is as anti-social as leaving sharp blades in a childrenÕs playground,Ó stressed the councillor who was among those advocating a strong policy of Ôzero toleranceÕ towards dog-fouling culprits.

Mr Janes was taking part in a lively public debate on dog fouling held during last weekÕs meeting at EggarÕs School.

The debate was led by EHDC animal welfare officer Dave Griffiths, who opened with a brief explanation of the size of the problem faced by the two-strong dog warden team who have an area of 200 square miles to cover and a wide range of duties to perform with limited resources.

While nuisance complaints and administration accounted for approximately half their time, dog fouling was said to take up around 11 per cent , closely followed by stray dogs and licensing requirements.

Despite being recognised as important, education - including talks to schools and distribution of leaflets and notices, came low down on the list.

Given the nature of the job, and that dog fouling problems tended to occur outside normal working hours, there was some debate on flexibility within the working day. This, however, raised issues of staff safety at times where there would be little or no back-up.

Mr Griffiths pointed out that while it was obviously impossible to provide blanket cover, it was down to the public to keep him informed about dog fouling Ôhot-spotsÕ in the area.

The emphasis was very much on local people being the ÒeyesÓ of the community, not only by identifying problem areas but by informing the wardens of anyone seen allowing their dog to foul without cleaning up after it.

What was needed was the location, regular time and a description of the dog and its walker.

It was possible also, he confirmed, to authorise Òsuitably trainedÓ members and employees of town and parish councils to issue fixed penalties against fouling on behalf of the district council - an idea already taken on board by Alton Town Council whose leader, Dave Crocker, asked if there were any resources to support those undertaking that service.

On the question of dog bins, the meeting heard that there were 125 dedicated ÔredÕ dog waste bins installed throughout the district and 430 ordinary litter bins.

Debate centred around the wisdom of Òre-badgingÓ the regular bins to enable dual use. While there was concern that dog faeces should not be mixed with ordinary waste, the general opinion was that the faeces would be bagged and should not cause a problem.

When asked whether community expectation regarding ÔacceptableÕ levels of dog-fouling was too high, there was unanimous agreement within the meeting that they were not and that any fouling in a public place was ÒunacceptableÓ.

While agreeing with this sentiment, Bob Booker felt compelled to point out that over the past ten years EHDC had Òcleaned up its actÓ on the dog fouling front, despite a lack of resources. And, he said: ÒAlton Town Council had led the way in this area by pursuing a proactive response to the problem.Ó

In fact, a strong contingency of Alton town councillors, as well as clerk Steve Parkinson, agreed that the time was right for a productive partnership. The problem in Alton had become worse since the foot-and-mouth crisis and was continuing to grow, said Mr Parkinson

He and his councillors advocated education as a way forward but reiterated the need for increased resources.

In taking on board the strength of feeling generated by the dog fouling problem, Mr Janes summed up by saying: ÒDistrict, town and parish councils are not against dog owners but they are totally against irresponsible dog owners.

ÒAnd if any member of the public knows an owner who is allowing his or her dog to illegally foul they should contact EHDC and we will extract legal retribution.Ó

Information on dog fouling problems can be passed on by ringing the confidential Dog Line on 01730.234319.