Northampton dog walkers encouraged to 'walk this way' to clear up parks

Northampton dog walkers are being encouraged to clear up after their pets with the help of a "walk this way" trail in Bradlaugh Fields.

The trail follows a 2km dog walking route around the fields dog where walkers will pass a total of nine bins to dispose of scoop bags, keeping the space clean and safe for other users to enjoy.

The Walk this Way initiative is being introduced in Bradlaugh Fields in partnership with the Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy and aims to reduce the amount of dog waste left in public spaces.

Councillor Anna King, cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: "The aim of the walking route encourages people to be responsible dog owners and to also have pride in our town by keeping our beautiful parks clean and safe."

There are also plans to develop another, larger 4km route with the help of local dog walkers, who can send their route suggestions to [email protected].

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Contrary to what some people seem to think, there is, in fact, no such thing as the dog poo fairy who will come along and remove their bagged dog poo. The responsibility is on the owner.

“The Walk this Way approach has led to a marked reduction in the amount of bagged poo littering parks and we’re keen to see if this success can be mirrored in even more sites this year."