Petition to stop cats fouling

A Shropshire man is aiming to put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting drastic measures to stop moggies fouling his garden - including a £1,000 fine for repeat offenders.

Steve Lloyd, from Telford, is so fed up at finding cat droppings in his garden that he plans to launch a petition on the Prime Minister's website, calling for cats to be confined to their own gardens and walked on a leash.

The petition, which is to go live on the Downing Street website says: "We the undersigned petition want the Prime Minister to bring legislation governing the ownership of cats in line with that for dog owners.

"In particular, the restriction of cat movement and the fouling of other people's property.

"Cats should be restricted to their own gardens and walked on a leash.

"Any cat fouling on other people's property, where it can be proven, should carry a fine of up to £1,000."

Mr Lloyd, 40, says constant fouling of his garden by neighbourhood cats could be a health hazard for his son, Aaron, who is eight.

The heating engineer, of Churchway, Stirchley, said he and his wife, Sylke, are determined to find a solution.

He said he has even invested his own money in numerous devices to repel local moggies, without success.

"Cats are the only domestic pets that seem to have a licence to be able to roam freely wherever they want and that does not seem quite right to me," he said.

"I have had a few pets in my time and do not dislike cats. They are cute enough, but I am not having them drop their litter in my garden."

But cat protection bosses in Shropshire have blasted the petition.

A spokeswoman for Shrewsbury Cats Protection, based in Wem, said: "It is completely impractical.

"There are plenty of products on the market he could get to stop them soiling. I cannot believe somebody would want to put cats on a lead."

By Andy Walker