Over the last month or so concerned villagers have been keeping an eye on our public spaces in Sutton and noting the piles of dog poo. We have reported previously how those individual piles have been geolocated and plotted on our “Hot Squats” satellite view. The idea being to highlight those areas where most fouling takes place so that action might be taken by the authority. That authority and responsibility for enforcement action lies with the Environmental Health Department at Bassetlaw District Council
Bassetlaw District Council (BDC) have formed an enforcement partnership with Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement Ltd. (WISE). Operating through the enforcement partnership BDC are able to target people who fail to pick up after their dogs and deliberately drop litter.
A WISE Environmental Crime Officer was in Sutton today (29th September, image below) and visited the areas highlighted in “Hot Squats”, noting two new poos in The Meadow. Sutton will henceforth feature in the patrols undertaken by WISE as meriting particular attention.
Whilst most dog owners in Sutton pick up after their dogs there are clearly a few who do not. Ideally we would all like to achieve a poo free Sutton through engagement and education. WISE will certainly be in the area to encourage better behaviour, but of course they also have an enforcement tool at their disposal. That is the power, given to WISE officers, to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). Offenders who receive a FPN are required to pay £100, no argument! Failure to pay may result in prosecution and a potential fine of £2,500.
So our advice to those few miscreants who are letting us down, “Pick-up, OtherWISE it will likely cost you £100 or more.