Rainham residents call for dog poo action

Residents of Rainham in Kent have taken to social media to highlight their outrage over dog poo.

This comes after some dog owners have been failing to pick up their own pet’s excrement.

Many have posted comments on the Rainham Community Facebook page calling for the council to take action.

Rebecca Bowne from Rainham said: “It’s disgusting my son trod in some the other day, there is no need for it. I don’t want to pick up dog poo, so I won’t be getting a dog. Simple.”

The council currently has fines in place to encourage owner responsibility. The fines are set at £100 if caught not picking up the poo which will be reduced to a lower amount of £70 if paid within 10 days of receiving the fine.

However, community members believe this is not enough to deter some recurring offenders. Maria Giles who is also from the Rainham area said: “The Council should employ dog wardens everywhere to stop this happening. I mean they are quick enough to do on the spot fines for cigarette ends, but not for poo.”

Medway Council have published their rules and regulations around street cleaning and fines. “All council-maintained streets are allocated a regular cleansing schedule…Residential streets are typically cleansed fortnightly. Majority of litter bins on the public highway are emptied 3 times per week, with others emptied more frequently… Any person who is witnessed intentionally dropping, throwing or leaving rubbish, can be issued a fine or even be prosecuted.”