The UK county which is England's dog poo capital
Analysis found there were more than 50,000 reports of dog fouling in the past five years in England.
One county has 1,500 more dog poo fouling incidents than any other in England, analysis has revealed. Chorley Council received the highest number of dog fouling reports over the past five years, according to freedom of information requests.
After analysing incident reports from English councils, Puppies.co.uk learned Chorley had the highest number, with 6,567 reports over five years. However, analysis also revealed that just 12 fixed penalty notices were issued in that time, with three enforcement officers in place. The second highest offender, Sunderland City Council, was more than 1,500 behind with 5,056 reports of dog fouling, although it did issue more than double the number of fines at 28.
Erewash Borough Council came in third with 4,047 reports, and despite having the same number of enforcement officers as Chorley, it issued double the number of penalty notices.
Wigan Borough Council came in fourth with 3,367 reports of dog fouling, and the freedom of information request showed eight fines were handed out during that time.
Rotherham Borough Council came in fifth highest at 1,808, although it also issued the highest number of notices in the top five, with 49 over five years.
The research revealed more than 50,000 reports of dog fouling in the past five years, but analysis revealed that 1,182 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) were issued in the same time period relating to dog fouling, an average of 14 per council.
This came to a total of £101,605 in fines, according to freedom of information requests, which reflects an average of £1,210 per council.
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A spokesperson for Puppies.co.uk said, “Owners are legally required to pick up their dog’s poo in public, and while most regularly do, a worrying number are failing to dispose of their dog’s waste properly.
"Dog waste isn’t just unsightly; it’s a public health risk that can help spread disease. So, it’s important to be a responsible dog owner and ensure you’re doing your bit to look after your local area, keeping it tidy and hygienic for everyone.”
The marketplace asked for the number of dog fouling reports, fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued, and the number of enforcement officers responsible for monitoring and addressing dog fouling.
Asim Khan, director of customer and digital at Chorley Council, said the council purposefully has multiple reporting channels for dog fouling so it can gather detailed data and target its resources.
They said: "This comprehensive approach means we often receive multiple reports about the same areas, helping us identify and prioritise persistent hotspots. While this approach means our reported numbers may appear higher, it’s by design.
"The more information we have, the better we can target our resources. Thanks to this community feedback, we’ve introduced tougher fines, deployed targeted patrols in hotspot areas, installed portable CCTV where needed, and will soon be equipping enforcement officers with body-worn cameras.
"We appreciate every responsible dog owner and every report we receive, working together we're keeping our borough clean and safe.”
