Dog fouling hotspots in Copeland are set to be targeted over the next few months as Copeland council steps up the war on irresponsible owners.

Residents of the borough’s towns and villages have taken to social media to complain about fouling, with Whitehaven harbour and town centre two of the areas people were most vocal about.

But a council spokesman said they were aware of issues and they were set to tackle them.

The spokesman said: “Since April 1, 2019 we have issued 10 fixed penalty notices for dog fouling offences.

“The majority of the fines centred in the Whitehaven area.

“Our focus over the coming months will be targeting identified hot spots in relation to dog fouling. We are using the information coming in from the public to conduct patrols and observations in highlighted areas in an effort to tackle the problem.

“We have also introduced Public Space Protection Orders in areas identified for dog control and exclusion regulation.”

One resident said on social media: “I’ve just been into Whitehaven and the amount of dog mess in the town is an absolute disgrace, particularly around Roper Street and the back of Wilkinson.”

And another added: “The harbour is a disgrace.”

The council is urging members of the public to report any incidents that they see, to help the tackle the problem.

And a warning also goes out to dog owners that they will be fined if they are caught.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to reinforce our message that the onus is on the dog owner to clean up after their pet.

“However, we will of course, do everything in our power to bring irresponsible dog owners to justice.

“We can issue an £80 fixed penalty notice for dog fouling offences and we would urge members of the public, who have any evidence or intelligence relating to dog fouling offenders, to get in touch.”