Shrewsbury man prosecuted for failing to clean up after his dog
Walking the dog in April this year proved very costly for Mr Neil Gilbert of Shrewsbury after Shropshire Council’s enforcement officers witnessed him take no action to clean up after his dog had defecated at a local recreational ground.
When officers tackled Mr Gilbert about his failure to clean up the faeces he gave them false details thinking he would get away with his misdemeanour. The fixed penalty notice that was subsequently issued was never paid.
Despite providing false information Mr Gilbert was subsequently identified and prosecuted. He was fined £165 and ordered to pay £150 costs with a £20 victim surcharge at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court on 29 November 2015.
Dr Paul McGreary, Shropshire Council’s head of business support and regulatory services said:
“Prosecution is always the last resort for us but we will not hesitate in taking the strongest action where the circumstances warrant this. Mr Gilbert compounded his first act by providing officers with false information thinking he could simply get away with this.
“Failure to clean up after your dog is a serious issue not only in terms of the impact on the local neighbourhood but because it presents a public health risk. The message is simple: the majority of responsible dog owners clean up after their dogs, that’s all we are asking the minority to do. But if you fail to do so you risk enforcement action.
“We will robustly enforce the legislation and will use fixed penalties to discharge the offence. However, we will also take the strongest possible action against individuals whose inappropriate behaviour warrants this course of action. I hope this case serves as a strong deterrent to anyone thinking of replicating Mr Gilbert’s actions.”
Malcolm Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, said:
“Everyone agrees that dog faeces is unsightly and there are a lot of people who support the work that we carry out in this area. The health hazards associated with dog faeces are well documented and I think it’s therefore important to highlight the problems associated with dog fouling, littering and fly tipping within our communities, and to challenge the minority who behave inappropriately.”
Shropshire Council encourages people to contact its public protection service on 0345 678 9000 if they wish to report any littering or dog fouling incidents. Information can be given anonymously and will always be treated in line with the council’s information governance policies.
