Volunteers stepped up their efforts to combat dog fouling in the parish.

Members of the Parish Plan Steering Group have been working with the Three Villages Community Action Group, a community interest company which incorporates residents from Sutton, Lyme Green and Langley, to run a campaign against dog mess and nuisance and help tidy up littered areas in the community.

This has included new warnings for dog walkers, a poster campaign with children from Hollinhey Primary School and patrols by volunteers and the council dog warden.

The volunteers stepped up their campaign by targeting three dog fouling hotspots.

These were the towpath left and right from Gaw End Lane, the park on Cop Meadow and the park on Robin Lane.

Volunteers also covered the roads near these locations used by dog walkers.

They spoke to walkers to promote awareness of the community project and to encourage them to report offenders who do not pick up after their dog to Cheshire East dog wardens.

Tim Beckett, lead environmental warden from the council, was present as well as a PCSO.

One volunteer litter picked the areas and where dog mess was found it was sprayed it with coloured paint.

Kevin Hoines, a member of the steering group, said: “It’s evident that our previous clean up of the towpath at Gaw End lane and the placing of a litter and dog waste bin by Ansa Environmental has made a tremendous difference.

“However, there are a few people who are still not picking up after their dog.

“These people are risking the health of other dogs and particularly young children as their immune systems are not fully developed.

“Children are more likely to come into contact with soil that contains dog faeces whilst playing.

“All dog mess contains bacteria that can cause stomach upsets, but the great risk is from Toxocariasis.”

Dog walkers who are caught not picking up after their pets can be issued with fines.

Kevin said: “ No persons were prosecuted during our patrols, but the environmental wardens will step up patrols in our parish and these offenders will be identified and prosecuted.”

Contact the team by emailing dogfouling@suttonparish.org.