PET owners who don’t pick up after their pooch could be handed a £100 fine after Waverley Borough Council approved a public space protection order from January 1, which bans dog fouling.

It means dog owners and walkers will need to clean up their pets’ mess and dispose of it appropriately – and immediately.

The order also requires the person walking the dog to have the means to pick up the mess, such as dog bags, with them.

Offenders who fail to clear up after their dogs will be issued a fixed-penalty notice. Failure to pay this may lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Plans have been put on hold for a crackdown on dog control, including requiring owners to keep dogs on leads in certain areas and during specified dates, banning dogs from designated spaces, such as children’s play areas, and a condition to allow owners to walk no more than four dogs at once.

Commercial dog walkers are not required to have a licence but, following action taken elsewhere, Waverley is proposing to make that a requirement.

In February, Horsell Common Society introduced a charge of £300 for walking more than four dogs at a time, which is valid for a year, because the increasing, uncontrolled activity was causing ‘environmental damage to wildlife habitats locally.’

Waverley has already joined forces with East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) in a zero-tolerance crackdown on general litter, introducing borough-wide penalties of £100, reduced to £75 if paid within 14 days.

As part of the process of setting up the protection order, the council asked for residents’ views on the proposal, with 96 per cent agreeing dog owners should clear up after their pets immediately.

A report to the borough council’s full council on December 11 indicated enforcement of the new fines would be “intelligence led” and targeted at areas where the community was reporting that there were problems.

It adds: “Enforcement could be carried out by a range of council officers with an enforcement role and by the police.”

Responding to the recommendation for fixed-penalty notices to be introduced at WBC’s last “watchdog” overview and scrutiny committee, Cranleigh councillor Mary Foryzewski said: “I have concerns about authorising officers to lurk in the bushes. Will they follow me to Black Down in Haslemere?”

Waverley’s head of environmental services, Richard Homewood, responded: “There won’t be officers lurking in the bushes. We won’t be following dog owners around just to catch them.

“Actions will be based on intelligence targeting areas around schools, footpaths, alleys and more urban areas – not in the middle of country parks. But if we get complaints, we’ll follow them up.”

Bramley councillor Maurice Byham told the committee: “It’s the people who bag it and throw it that cause me more distress.”

Announcing the introduction of fixed-penalty notices, Waverley’s portfolio holder for health, Elstead councillor Jenny Else, said: “Dog fouling is one of the most offensive types of litter on our streets and recreational spaces, and we want to get the message across it is every dog owner’s responsibility to pick up after their dog and put the bagged mess in a bin.

“Part of being a responsible dog owner is cleaning up after them – we’re lucky a lot of our residents do just that. However, it’s not fair people have to put up with dog mess left by those few dog owners who don’t care. We think those irresponsible owners should pay the price for cleaning it up.

“We hope the fines will act as a deterrent and send the message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Waverley.

“There is clearly a lot of public support for this order and residents have told us they think something needs to be done to stop the bad behaviour. No-one wants our beautiful green spaces to be tainted by dog mess so I’m very pleased the council has got this order in place to deter offenders.”

Bagged mess can be disposed of in any litter bin in parks managed by Waverley Borough Council. If anyone spots an incident of dog fouling, they should report it online by visiting waverley.gov.uk/report-it or by calling 01483 523333.

The order will last for three years and will start with a three-month warning period before fines start to be issued.