WHEN Julie Ramsden and Jenny Woodward visit their local park they carry dog poo bags - yet neither owns a dog.

The friends, from Bingley, who both have young children, are spearheading a campaign to clean up open spaces and encourage dog owners to pick up after their pets.

“A lot of parents take children to Jerr Wood Park and we were sick of scraping poo from the bottoms of shoes," says Julie. "It is bad enough on pavements but dreadful to see it in parks where children are running around and can get it on their shoes or fall over in it.”

Not only this, but dog faeces is a health hazard and can lead to toxocariasis in humans, a condition that can cause serious illness and even blindness.

A childminder, Julie would often come across more than 20 piles of poo in a half mile round walk with the children in her care.

"One of the children would act as a lookout and warn us," she says.

Jenny approached officers at Bradford Council, who had heard of a successful scheme pioneered by Falkirk in Scotland, which has since been adopted elsewhere.

They agreed to run it as a trial, and it has been a soaraway success. Reports of dog fouling to Bradford Council have fallen from 33 during the year to September 2014, to 15 in the year to September 2105. The proportion of cases referred to environmental health officers also fell from 24.24 per cent in the year to September 2014

In Bingley more than 100 people have signed up to the scheme and over the past year, calls to Bradford Council’s local offices relating to dog fouling in Bingley have reduced by half “This is a testament to the work the volunteers have done,” says Marcia Churley, Bradford Council’s ward officer for Bingley: “They are local mums who use Jerr Wood Park had even found it on play equipment. They had had enough and they wanted to know what they could do about it. Round about the same time Bradford Council introduced the Green Dog initiative.”

Says Marcia: “When you sign up to it you are signing up to say ‘I am a responsible dog owner.’ It involves taking a pledge to say that you will always pick up after your animal.”

As part of the pledge members receive a supply of dog bags which they can take out with them. They also receive a cuff to attach to their pet’s lead, or an armband, that tells others that they belong to the scheme.

“The idea is that they are a visible presence while out walking," adds Marcia. "They can offer spare bags to other dog walkers, who can also ask for them if they have run out or forgotten to take one along. If they see someone who does not pick up after their pet they can offer bags in a friendly, non-confrontational way,” says Marcia. “We all have busy lives and people sometimes forget.”

The Bingley group has raised its profile with a Facebook page, and attends local events such as Christmas fairs. They have visited local schools to raise awareness and organised a competition among schoolchildren to design posters to put up in the locality.

The women work in tandem with local Council wardens and give out information on social media.

“We hold ‘revolting dog poo’ quizzes,” says Julie, “We find children are very good in passing the message back to parents.”

Adds Marcia:“We are proud of what they have achieved. We support them, but it is very much done on a volunteer basis.”

Shipley and Baildon have also embraced the scheme, having more than 60 members. Local ward councillors have been very supportive of the initiative, which last year received a funding grant of £300 from Shipley Town Hall.

“We have found them to be very helpful and supportive in all of our campaign,” says Jenny, who once picked up more than 80 pieces of dog poo in a small park which was being used as a 'dog toilet'.

She adds: “The less poo there is, the less likely people will allow their dogs to foul.”

Councillor David Heseltine, chairman of Bradford Council’s Shipley Area Committee, says: “This willing band of volunteers has had a great impact in significantly reducing the incidents of dog fouling. Peer pressure can also work - if others see a group of active citizens some will want to join them.”

Persistent offenders, who do not respond to any approach can ultimately be tackled by enforcement, he adds.

*Facebook.com/BingleyGreenDog; bingleygreendog@gmail.com