Worthing Councillor Reminds Dog Owners To Pick Up Their Poo Or Pay The Fine

Tuesday, 13 December 2022 16:01

By Jessica Hubbard, Local Democracy Reporter

Irresponsible dog owners have again been warned they could face £1,000 fines after a large amount of dog poo was collected from a Worthing park.

Around 4kg of dog waste was collected by borough councillors and park rangers at Brooklands Park on Saturday (December 10).

This follows a similar litter pick last month where 8kg of excrement was cleared from Shepherds Mead in one morning.

Cabinet member for the environment at Worthing Borough Council, Vicki Wells (Lab, Marine), joined fellow councillors and park rangers on both occasions.

It is part of a renewed push to clean up the area and deter irresponsible dog owners from leaving their waste behind.

“Here’s what should be found in a hedge, a birds nest and not a discarded bag of dog poo,” she said in a Tweet.

“It was good to see such a variety of nature and wildlife thriving at Brooklands. We also chatted to lots of responsible dog owners who are very happy using the bins!”

Poo Patrol #2 - Today Cllrs @Rita4Tarring, John Turley and I collected *4kgs of dog poo* left on the ground - or in bags - messing up Brooklands Park #Worthing.

Irresponsible dog owners can be fined £1000.

Bag it and bin it! 🐶💩🦠 pic.twitter.com/YBsR8Mhhgi
— Cllr Vicki Wells 🇺🇦 (@vicki4labour) December 10, 2022

The cabinet member warned that fines will be handed out which can be up to £75 for those found dropping poo bags or £100 for owners who don’t pick up after their dogs.

If fines are ignored, rule breakers can be given a larger fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record.

Adur and Worthing Councils have now warned irresponsible owners about enforcement patrols taking place at countryside ‘dog poo hotspots’.

“Our officers will patrol locations where there have been reports of dog fouling and issue fines to irresponsible dog walkers caught leaving the waste to damage beauty spots,” said a spokesperson.