Scoop the Poop: Campaign calls on Northampton's dog owners to clean up after pets

The Scoop The Poop campaign will launch on Victoria Park on March 15.

A poop-scooping campaign will be launched at a Northampton park next week to clean up dog mess across the town.

Dog-owners not picking up after their pets has now led to "Scoop The Poop", a town-wide effort to educate people why it's important to carry a baggy when walking the pooch.

Councillor Rufia Ashraf (Labour, St James) is launching the dog fouling campaign on March 15 between 11pm and 3pm at Victoria Park after complaints from Northampton residents.

She said: "This campaign is really important to the town. I'd like to see a zero-tolerance approach and irresponsible dog owners become more responsible and to understand their actions.

"We all want to see clean streets and parks and we can only achieve this if owners take responsibility."

Dog owners caught in the act of skipping cleaning up after their pets can face a fine of up to Â£1,000.

Councillor Ashraf said: "Enforcement is key to catching people in the act. With new enforcement officers in place, we look forward to seeing them on our streets."

In 2017, a new town centre Public Spaces Protection Order was enacted to prohibit actions that 'disrupt the quality of life' for people in Northampton.

It included fines of Â£100 for failing to pick up dog mess or keeping dogs on leads.