Telford and Wrekin named as one of worst areas for dog fouling - with largest increase in reports over three-year period
Telford and Wrekin has been named as one of the worst areas for dog fouling with the biggest increase in complaints over a three-year period.
Between 2021 and 2023, Telford & Wrekin Council received a total of 2,909 complaints of dog fouling in the borough, figures have revealed.
The figure is the third-worst of councils in the UK between the period, behind City of Edinburgh and Camden, and comes after the borough was named as the 'dog capital' of the country.
A freedom of information (FOI) request by The Telegraph to all UK councils has revealed the number of complaints of dog fouling.
It revealed that Telford & Wrekin Council received 495 reports of the offence in 2021, 887 reports in 2022 and a staggering 1,527 throughout 2023.
In an article on the 'dog fouling capital' of the country, The Telegraph said the authority had the largest increase in complaints between 2021 and 2023 - of councils that responded to the FOI request - with a 208.5 per cent increase from 495 to 1,527.
In December last year, Telford & Wrekin Council launched a new reward scheme that offers £50 to members of the public who report dog walkers who do not clean up their mess.
It came as Deputy Leader of the council, Councillor Richard Overton said the authority was aware of a "few people who persistently allow their dogs to foul in certain areas".
Residents were reminded that the failure to clean up after their dog can result in a fixed penalty notice of £100 - reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.
Responding to the report, Telford & Wrekin Council said it has only received two "formal complaints" relating to dog fouling in the past 12 months, but has received a "broader number" of requests" for waste removal.
A spokesperson said: "Telford & Wrekin Council is proud of the strong partnership it has built with residents to address dog fouling and maintain the cleanliness and safety of parks and open spaces.
"Only two formal complaints relating to dog fouling were received in the past 12 months. A broader number of requests for waste removal were logged, demonstrating that our proactive campaigns are working.
"Residents are reporting incidents promptly, and we are responding efficiently.
"Our own data, which we trust and continuously monitor, shows consistently high reporting levels as expected, following numerous campaigns encouraging residents to report issues via the MyTelford app or the Telford & Wrekin Watch hotline."
