INCIDENTS of dog fouling have increased by 39 per cent since November, according to figures.

At Monday’s Darton and North Area PACT meeting, concerns were raised by the council about dog waste, especially in the north area of Barnsley.

Cath Fairweather, Barnsley Council’s tasking officer, said: “There has been a mass number of dog fouling reports in the north area.

“There has been a 39 per cent increase since the end of November, specifically in the north area.

“The trouble that we are having is no enforcement capacity to do dog fouling patrols at the moment, and so we are now looking to elected members to help with this.

“It is important to remind the public that dog waste can go in regular litter bins if a dog bin is not available.”

Coun Sarah Tattersall added: “On our litter picks, I’ve noticed that we’ve gone from collecting three bags of waste, to ten bags waste recently.”

Coun Dave Leech said: “As a councillor and the North Area chair, the dog fouling issue is down to the irresponsibility of dog owners that don’t pick up.

“We, as North Area Council, have put stickers on waste bins, stencils on pavements to get the point across.

“And to make responsible dog owners aware that they can deposit dog waste in bags in normal waste bins.

“As a dog owner myself, I carry dog waste bags and always pick up after my dog – it’s the right thing to do.”

In response to the meeting, PC Bev Frisby, issued an alert that said: “It has been brought to both Barnsley Council and South Yorkshire Police’s attention about the alarming rise in dog fouling on the pavements and verges.

“If you have a dog, please ensure to clean up after it, dog waste can be put in the litter bins around the district.

“If you see someone not cleaning up after their dog, make a note of the person and the dog and report it to the council on their website, along with the location.

“If we can trace the person responsible, they could receive a fine of £50.”