A CAMPAIGN to tackle a blight on the community has seen offending reduced by 91 per cent.

Harrogate Borough Council joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy in March to take part in the "We're Watching You" project to tackle dog fouling.

The council’s Dog Warden Service and the Safer Harrogate District Community Safety Group identified three key problem areas for the campaign, including Hell Wath playing fields in Ripon; Castle Gardens and Bebra Gardens in Knaresborough; and the Harrogate to Ripley cycle path at Bilton.

At each location officers held bag and flag events to clearly show the extent of the problem; in total over 800 piles of dog mess were picked up and bagged. 

This resulted in incidents falling by 89 per cent at Knaresborough’s Castle and Bebra Gardens, dropping 90 per cent at Hell Wath and 91 per cent along the Harrogate to Ripley cycle path at Bilton.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for Safer Communities said: "People see dog fouling as by far the most unacceptable, dirtiest, and potentially dangerous form of litter.

"While the vast majority of dog owners are responsible people who pick up after their dogs and dispose of the waste correctly, there are a minority of irresponsible owners who fail to act appropriately.

"The glow-in-the-dark posters really seem to have made dog owners think about their actions and undoubtedly helped reduce instances of fouling.

"We are delighted the campaign had such a significant impact on helping us combat this problem and hopefully the rollout across the district will have the same impressive results."

Any local group wishing to run a similar campaign in their area can contact the Dog Warden Service by calling (01423) 500600 or emailing EP@harrogate.gov.uk.