Just 8 Fixed Penalty Fines issued in 2022 by Sefton Council
A Freedom of Information request made and received by Sefton Green Party details the number of fixed penalty notices issued for dog fouling during 2022. Only 8 Fixed penalty fines were issued for the whole of the Sefton area in 2022.
Neil Doolin, Green Party Co-ordinator for Sefton and Local Campaigner for Waterloo and Seaforth, has written to the Labour Leader of Sefton Council Ian Maher and Dwyane Johnson, Chief Executive registering our disappointment and calling for more resources to be given to enforcing local laws.
Neil Doolin states:
“Sefton MBC Public Space Protection Order [Dog Control] 2021 allows a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 to be issued against offenders who fail to remove their dogs fouling. Sefton MBC state on their website an external contractor undertakes patrols regularly during the day, evenings and at weekends to identify offenders. The council has delegated powers to Police Community Support Officers and Green Sefton Officers who can now all issue FPN’s. Residents in all parts of Sefton face daily the horrible experience of finding dog excrement outside of their homes, so exactly where have all of these staff been patrolling in Sefton to have issued just 8 fines for the whole Borough for a whole year?
“Residents in Sefton are being let down by a lack of enforcement of the laws by Sefton MBC. Dog fouling is a real problem in all areas of Sefton and yet it seems that the risk of being issued with a fixed penalty notice for not picking up your dog’s excrement is virtually zero despite the claims of Sefton MBC to be tackling the issue. Sefton MBC needs to issue fines to more people and make an example of dog fouling offenders, and publicise it so people know there’s a realistic chance of being caught. We all need to behave responsibly and sensibly, and with respect to each other and the environment. Dog fouling is like littering in that it is a crime against society and a form of anti-social behaviour”
Sefton Green Party calls for the following additional measures to be taken by Sefton MBC:
- Dog waste bags should be provided free of charge by Sefton MBC, particularly in areas of high reports of dog fouling.
- Additional officers be authorised to serve Fixed Penalty Notices on owners who fail to clean up after their dog.
- Areas which are particularly prone to fouling should be targeted for investigation as prioritised by reports from the public