A COUNCIL is stepping up the fight against owners who don't pick up their dog's mess.

West Dunbartonshire Council will double the penalty for dog fouling to £80 after a change in the law.

Irresponsible residents who don’t pick up their dog’s mess will face bigger fines from April 1 this year.

The new higher fixed penalty of £80 is being introduced for dog fouling across Scotland to discourage bad behaviour.

The move has been made possible due to a change in legislation to bring the fixed penalty for dog fouling up to £80, in line with litter.

It follows a Scottish Government consultation in which the majority of responders said they would support the fine being raised.

Councillor Patrick McGlinchey, Convener of the Council’s Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development Committee, said: “Dog fouling is absolutely disgusting and we know the vast majority of our residents are appalled by it and want something done to reduce it even further.

“This larger fine should act as a deterrent to that minority of irresponsible owners who continue to put children’s health at risk and spoil the appearance of the area. It certainly shows how seriously Scotland is taking this problem.

“As a Council we are dedicated to improving the local environment and our Do The Right Thing campaign helped reduce litter by more than 30% in places, while nearly 70% of residents said the campaign led to some or significant improvements on litter. This is another tool in our efforts to make West Dunbartonshire an even nicer place to live, work and visit.”

Councillor David McBride, Vice-Convener of the committee, added: “It is completely unacceptable for dog owners not to pick up after their pet. It impacts negatively on everyone’s enjoyment of the area. Hopefully the higher fixed penalty notice will deter irresponsible owners from risking it and help to protect our local environment.”

Residents can still report dog fouling on the 'street care and cleaning’ section of the West Dunbartonshire Council website at www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/residential-pollution-and-pest-control/street-care-and-cleaning