RESIDENTS are being put in the picture about the problem of dog fouling.

Photographs of the mess left by dogs are being posted through residents' letter boxes in an area of Teesside, in a bid to encourage them to clean up after their pets.

The shock tactic, used by Middlesbrough Council enforcement worker Joanne Russell, appears to be working, with two alleyways at North Ormesby, once the source of complaints, now clean.

Mrs Russell, who uses a digital camera, said she was angry at the extent of dog fouling in alleyways that had been equipped with special bins.

She said: "When you are walking down an alleyway and find dog mess, despite a dog waste bin situated in that alleyway, it can be infuriating.

"It was just a case of enough is enough."

Mrs Russell was initially called in to respond to complaints from residents about the state of alleyways behind Dorothy and Peaton Streets.

As the dog mess was in alleyways closed off by gates, the owner had to be a resident of the street. Not knowing the house number, copies of the photographs were posted through the letter boxes of about 70 houses.

Mrs Russell said: "We wanted people to be shocked by it, to encourage residents to report dog fouling and, hopefully, make the dog owner feel a little ashamed.

"I expected to receive complaints about it, but have not, and at the end of the day the tactic has had the desired effect.''

She has inspected two of the worst alleyways twice and at different times since posting the pictures of dog mess, and they are both clean.

Mrs Russell, who works with refuse collectors, street cleaners and wardens, said: "I work as part of a team. It's a team approach.''

North Ormesby resident Steven Hawkes said: "My son cannot play in the alley with his bike anymore because of all the mess, but this helped clean it up for a week or two.

"The problem has come back a bit, but it's not as bad as it was.''