Dog owners who allow their pets to foul footpaths could be snapped in the act.

Villagers in Cullingworth are being offered free disposable cameras to capture dogs and their owners on film.

Cullingworth Parish Council has pledged to use the photographs as evidence in prosecutions against dog owners. The move is to get Bradford council's anti-fouling bye-laws to bite in the village. Parish Councillor Ken Batchelor said: "It's time we got tougher on people who allow their dogs to foul the streets.

"We get a lot of complaints about the problem, and it's obvious how bad it is when you walk around the village.

"We are prepared to pay for the disposable cameras if people are prepared to take the pictures.

"We need evidence so action can be taken. The photograph would be proof and we would expect a prosecution."

He is backed by parish council chairman Councillor John Brigg, who said: "We get a lot of complaints about dog fouling

"It may seem like a small thing in the broader scheme of things, but it's not a small thing if you step in it."

He said if photographic evidence was received, then the council would hope the police would take action.

Disposable cameras cost between £5 and £8 and are available at Cullingworth Pharmacy. Some have a flash and take a minimum of 24 pictures.

A Bradford council spokesman said the council's rangers and park wardens had power to issue £25 penalty notices to people who allowed dogs to foul highway verges, parks and recreation areas and then failed to remove the dog dirt.

"Since the bye-laws came into force three years ago, around 350 tickets have been issued," he said. The majority of fines had been paid, but ten people had been successfully prosecuted by magistrates for failing to pay the fines.

A further six cases were being processed at present, he added.

A police spokesman said they could issue a summons to a magistrates' court or alternatively warn the offender.