A PARISH council in North Somerset has stepped up efforts to combat the continual problem of dog poo on its village streets and playing fields.

The Pill and Easton-in-Gordano authority has decided to fund free dog poo bags for its residents to use to clear up after their pooches.

Available from the resource centre in Baltic Place, the bags will be given out in bundles of 50 in the hope of encouraging more people to be responsible dog owners.

Parish council chairman Andy Jopp said: “This was brought about because we had quite a few complaints about dog poo around the village.

“We thought we would do something to try to encourage people to pick it up.

“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and even try to tidy up after others.

“It is a minority but it only takes a few bits on the pavement for it to become a nuisance.

“This is meant as a positive move to give people a carrot rather than a stick.”

One area known to suffer from the issue on a regular basis is along the river wall in Marine Parade. Concerns have also been raised about dog poo being left on playing fields and recreational areas, such as Watchhouse Hill, where children regularly play.

As part of its efforts to raise awareness among those people responsible for the problem, the parish council also plans to highlight the amount of dog mess in the parish by spraying the offending piles with fluorescent paint.

A similar initiative in Weston in 2009 saw bright orange paint sprayed around dog mess before street cleaners were tasked with picking it up.

* Free dog poo bags are now available from Pill Resource Centre, which is open from 9.30am-3.30pm Mondays to Wednesdays, 9.30am-5.30pm Thursdays, 10am-12.30pm Fridays and 10am to noon Saturdays.