A town’s “dog poo hotspots” are to be patrolled after the equivalent weight of a blue whale in poo was collected from its green spaces.

Worthing Borough Council enforcement officers will patrol locations where there have been reports of dog fouling and issue fines to “irresponsible” dog walkers caught leaving the waste at beauty spots and other areas.

Anyone caught dropping litter, which includes dog waste bags, will receive an on-the-spot fine of £75, while anyone caught not clearing up their dog's mess will receive a £100 fine.

Extra signs will also be put up, asking those with dogs to pick up after their pets and warning them that fouling will “not be tolerated”.

The action comes after the council saw an increase in dog fouling in a number of areas across the borough.

A council spokesman said the council’s cleansing team had collected 97 tonnes of dog poo in the six months to September-the weight of more than a dozen fully-grown elephants.

Councillor Vicki Wells, Worthing's cabinet member for the environment, said: “The vast majority of dog owners are incredibly responsible and look after their pets and clean up after them, including placing poo bags in the bins provided after their walk.

“However, there are some who refuse to do so and the result is dog poo on the ground or bags of poo discarded in bushes or hedgerows, which is completely unacceptable.

“Parasites in dog poo pose significant health risks to both humans and livestock as well as other dogs.

“In addition to these welfare issues, there is an economic price to not picking up after your dog, as it costs a lot of money to clear the mess up and Worthing can do better.

“Failing to pick up after your dog is simply irresponsible and we want to highlight that with an increase in patrols, as well as reminding people that fines can and will be issued.”

There are a total of 320 dog bins across the borough, but the council said anyone who thinks additional bins are needed in a specific area should get in contact.

To highlight the issue and raise awareness, councillors have volunteered to work with the council’s park rangers, enforcement officers and the dog wardens to clean up areas, armed with poop scoops and bags.

On Saturday, (November 12) Cllr Wells was at Shepherds Mead with colleagues and council officers removing dog mess.

There are planned clean-ups planned for:

  • Brooklands on December 10
  • Victoria Park on January 14
  • Highdown on February 11
  • Rotary Rec and Hill Barn Rec on March 11

As well as fouling, Public Spaces Protection Orders set out where in Worthing dogs must be kept on a lead, where they are prohibited and where walkers can have no more than six dogs per person.