COUNCILS in the region have declared war on dog mess - with thousands of irresponsible pet owners being hit with fines for fouling.

Litterbugs have also been targeted by local authorities who have issued more than 18,000 fixed penalty notices for the two offences in the last five years.

A survey using freedom of information powers by The Northern Echo revealed councils in the North-East and North Yorkshire have handed out almost 3,000 fixed penalty notices (FPN) for dog fouling since 2009.

Hundreds of owners who refused to pay the fine of up to £80 were taken to court and prosecuted, with councils rarely losing when taking legal action.

Durham County Council was the most prolific issuer of FPNs, issuing almost 850 for dog fouling and more than 3,000 for littering.

Darlington Borough Council has also taken a strong line, handing out more than 200 notices for dog fouling and at least 1,500 for littering.

Nick Wallis, Darlington Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said the figures sent out a clear message that dog fouling in Darlington would not be tolerated and irresponsible dog owners would be caught and fined.

"Our small team of dedicated officers work very hard to tackle this problem and I am pleased that there hard work and determination is paying off,” he said.

As well as issuing fines, Durham County Council said it aimed to educate the public about the dangers of dog fouling.

And this week it has launched a new campaign in Chilton giving dog owners the chance to win a £25 voucher if they are spotted by council staff picking up after their pet.

Staff will visit Chilton Primary School to educate pupils on how to be good dog owners.

The education sessions are part of the Green Dog Walkers programme, which aims to make more poo bags available and remind people to pick up after their pets.

Pauline Walker, senior civic pride officer at Durham County Council, said: “This campaign educates both youngsters and dog owners on how to be responsible in picking up after their pets.

“While the majority of dog walkers are responsible and always pick up their pet’s poo, it just takes one or two irresponsible people to have a negative effect on the environment.”

Fixed penalty notices issued for dog fouling/littering since 2009

Numbers: Dog / Litter

County Durham 849 / 3,165
Darlington 209 / 1,548
Richmondshire 37 / 117
Hambleton 29 / 44
Stockton 56 / 1,484
Middlesbrough 12 / 22
Redcar & Cleveland 469 / 1,137
Hartlepool na / na
Sunderland 398 / 633
Gateshead 148 / 693
Newcastle 224 / 5,254
York 17 / 542
Harrogate 72 / 0
Ryedale 5 / 1