Dedicated officers to crack down on litter and dog fouling

Irresponsible dog owners and people who deliberately drop litter are being warned they face fines of up to £75 as Dover District Council's new Environmental Enforcement Officers start patrolling next week.

The three dedicated officers will have powers to issue fixed penalties of £75 for littering and £50 for dog fouling as part of a strict approach to enforcement.

The highly visible, uniformed presence will patrol between 6am and 9pm, seven days a week. They will also be deployed at other times in response to problem areas. This follows feedback from surveys and Neighbourhood Forums showing littering and dog fouling as key concerns for residents.

Officers are not set targets for Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and are paid by salary, not for the number of tickets issued, and the aim is to work with the community to prevent offences.

DDC has also trained a number of its officers, together with Dover Neighbourhood Policing teams and Kent County Council Wardens on recording these offences whilst conducting their duties across the district. Any evidence they gather will be followed up by the Environmental Crime Team who will issue FPNs where appropriate.

Littering and dog fouling are criminal offences. The new posts are part of an ongoing commitment by DDC and its partners to continue to work to make sure the district remains a safe place to live, work and visit.

Cllr Nicholas Kenton, DDC Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "The majority of people are fed up with the actions of the minority who walk away when their dog fouls or think nothing of dropping rubbish wherever they wish. These important new posts are a direct response to tackle this issue, to discourage people from committing these crimes, and to continue to make improvements to the environment for the future of the district."