SURVEILLANCE is being carried out in Dudley dog fouling hot spot areas to catch and prosecute irresponsible pet owners.

Dudley Council officers are visiting parks and open spaces with high numbers of reports of dog mess.

The aim is to catch the culprits in the act and issue a £100 fixed penalty notice.

Officers will also be handing out dog mess bags to remind dog walkers to clean up after their pets.

The council has issued 17 fixed penalty notices over the past 12 months.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environment, said: “People who fail to clean up after their pets not only break the law, they leave our borough looking a mess.

“We get lots of complaints but it is really hard to catch people so we have to constantly think of new ways of tackling this issue.

“We will be carrying out checks in hotspot areas where we know there has been a problem.”