CAMERAS are to be used across Craven in the fight against irresponsible dog owners.

In a crackdown against owners who fail to clean up after their dogs, Craven District Council is to install CCTV cameras at known 'dog fouling hot spots'.

Officers will also carry on visiting schools to talk to children about the impact of dog fouling and littering, following a successful pilot programme in Skipton and in South Craven.

Councillor Carl Lis, the council's lead member for Greener Craven, said: “We know residents feel very strongly about this issue and we are determined to do everything we can to tackle it.

“Obtaining evidence to fine or prosecute those responsible is extremely tough as the offender must be ‘caught in the act’ by a council enforcement officer or witnessed by a member of the public who is willing to act as a witness."

He added: “Our officers do their best in difficult circumstances and have been making progress in recent years, but we are always looking for ways to improve."

He said there will be an increase in patrols in addition to the installation of cameras in key areas known to be visited by a single persistent offender, or offenders.

Following calls by Cllr Richard Welch earlier in the year to introduce a zero tolerance attitude towards dog fouling, and to fine owners without dog waste bags, officers looked into possible legislation.

Officers looked at the possibility of introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which would have meant anyone stopped with a dog and without a bag in their possession could have faced prosecution.

Similar orders operate at Coach Street Car Park and and the High Street Car Park in Skipton to control anti-social behaviour.

However, councillors, at a recent meeting of the Policy Committee, heard that the number of reported instances of dog fouling across the district was already falling, with 112 reports in 2017/18 compared to 145 in 2016/17.

Since April to December this year, the council received 49 reports of dog fouling.

Environmental health officers carried out patrols between 7am and 10pm in South Craven, Bentham, Settle, Ingleton, Skipton and Embsay, and all dog walkers interviewed were found to be carrying dog waste bags and there was no evidence of a significant dog fouling issue.

Councillors heard that there would be significant costs to set up one of the new orders, with some councils confirming the introduction to be costly and requiring significant consultation and resources to patrol the areas covered under the order. Any order would also only last three years and require a re-submission to keep with both intelligence and evidence of the problem still being present to justify the need.

The Policy Committee therefore agreed not to introduce a new order at this time, but to keep the matter under review.