Dog Owners Keep it Clean or Face Meadow Ban

A Parish Council is looking to take action against dog walkers who do not remove their dog’s mess while out walking.

It is quite common to see dog mess at children's play areas, football pitches, parks and meadows. According to Parish Council Chairperson Lyn Gurling, the council will impose a ban on dog owners from taking their dogs there using new powers under the New Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005. However no decision will be made until an open meeting has taken place on November 9 at 7pm, where Lavenhams's residents are hoping to come up with a solution to the problem.

Mrs Gurling said, "We were told by Babergh District Council that we could employ a dog warden to issue fixed penalty notices. We did not think that was the right way for a village to go about it. We would never collect enough money to cover the cost. But we were also told that we could make dog-banning orders. It's a difficult situation. Sometimes even if you are a responsible owner, you may not always be sure what your dog is doing, say if you are distracted talking to someone. Apparently there are at least 6.5 million dogs in the UK, which produce 1,000 tons of excrement every day. Maybe we should reintroduce dog licences – because all those dog bins have to be emptied and it costs money . "

Mollie Loftus of High Street, Lavenham, said, "I always pick up mess but I do see evidence of irresponsible owners and it can be a problem. But I would be very disappointed if a ban was introduced because I have problems with my knees and it's good to be able to walk on a flat field."

Tina Birrell of Spring Street, Lavenham, regularly walks her two Bichon Frise dogs, Chloe and Pepe, on First Meadow. She said, "If you are a responsible dog owner you should not let them do anything they are not meant to. If children are going to play here, owners should be extra careful. This is such a lovely place to walk, and the dogs love it so. It would be such a shame if they were banned because of a few irresponsible people."