FRUSTRATED residents are demanding council bosses get tough on dog fouling after new figures showed only 17 fines have been dished out for the offence in the last three years.
The data, which came via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to Basildon Council, has revealed only one fixed penalty notice has been issued so far this year.
Angry residents insist the small number of fines doesn’t reflect the scale of the issue, with some saying they regularly see dog mess on walks around the borough.
Helyn Damiano said: “It’s disgusting.
“If you can find a dog bin it’s usually full.
“I always take bags with me, no excuse not to pick up.
“People just don’t care, they blatantly let their dogs foul and walk on.”
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Tracy Sparrow added: “The Laindon area can be bad, but the worst we saw was just last weekend at Westley Heights. We saw seven lots in the first four minutes of walking.”
The FOI data shows there were just four fines issued for dog fouling in Basildon in 2021, and 14 in 2020.
Basildon Council is currently searching for a contractor to crackdown on the issue, as well as fly-tipping and general littering.
It is hoped the crack squad will carry out patrols and investigate reports of dog fouling in an attempt to issue more fines.
The fine for littering and dog fouling is £75.
Don Morris, councillor for Wickford Castledon, has defended Basildon Council’s record over dog fouling.
He said: “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets and we would encourage all dog owners to do this.
“I don’t think there’s much more the council can do.
“People should take more pride in where they live, and not wait for the council to do it. Frankly there isn’t enough money in the budget to tackle it.”
A council spokesman added: “Basildon Council enforcement officers are able to issue fixed penalties for a number of environmental offences across the borough. This includes allowing dogs to foul without making arrangements for cleaning it up. Wherever this is observed, a fixed penalty notice will be issued.”
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