A new scheme that aims to ‘shame’ dog owners into preventing their pets fouling pavements and play areas in Highbridge has launched.
Mike Murphy from Highbridge Chamber of Trade, pictured, and local traders are spray-painting around dog waste on pavements in an effort to encourage residents to clean up after their pets.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The Chamber has answered a call for help from Highbridge’s traders to address the problem and address the disgusting state of our pavements.”
“I got talking with traders and residents about the problem after being appalled at the state of Southwell Gardens last September where I had to remove 40 piles of dog poo before holding an outdoor event there.”
“The problem is now particularly bad along pavements in Tyler Way, Church Street and Market Street and even around play areas.”
“I heard that Camden Borough Council has been successfully using pink-coloured, temporary chalk paint to draw attention to dog waste and shame dog users, so I managed to get some cans and we’re now using them in Highbridge.”
“It washes away after a few days but the paint is there to draw attention to the problem and shame the dog owners into stopping. Several residents have told me that they feel unhappy walking on pavements at night in case they step into the dog mess in the dark.”
He added: “It was erroneously reported in a local newspaper that we are planning to extend the scheme onto Burnham-On-Sea’s Esplanade, but that’s totally incorrect. We are focusing fully on the problem here in Highbridge.”
