A CRACKDOWN on anti-social dog owners leaving their pet’s mess in the streets has been launched in Southcote.

Borough council dog wardens and streetcare officers organised a one-day educational event at Southcote Primary School on Wednesday last week aimed at keeping dog fouling off the streets.

The campaign aims to encourage dog walkers not to let their pets mess in the streets and officers spoke to neighbours about reporting dog fouling offences and the possible consequences.

Since August 2012 a total of 46 fixed penalty notices worth £75 were handed out to dog walkers who did not clear up after their pets by the council resulting in around £3,450 worth of income to council coffers.

Officers also handed out free poop-scoops, educational material and flyers to passers-by and dog walkers outside the school in Silchester Road as part of a series of education events across the borough.

The campaign is building upon the major We Need to Talk consultation which the council ran in 2012 after the subject of irresponsible dog-owners failing to clear up after their pets was regularly raised by neighbours across the borough as one of the issues they found most annoying.

This led to a series of one-day events across the borough last year and borough neighbourhoods leader Liz Terry and officers are now hosting similar open afternoons across the town.

Cllr Terry said: “We had a very positive response to our dog fouling campaigns in 2012 and 2013.

“It’s clearly an issue that irks many people and is one we take seriously.”

The first event of this year’s campaign was held at the John Rabson Recreation Ground in Whitley, on Wednesday, August 20, when council dog wardens and streetcare officers spoke to more than 70 dog-owners.

The next event is due to be held at the Victoria Recreation Ground, in George Street, Reading, on Monday, October 15, when officers will again speak to neighbours and dog walkers about the blight dog mess can have on the streets.