Capri digs up dirt on dogs

BEHIND most whiffs of scandal in Italy, the Mafia are often lurking — but there is one crime hitting the streets of the picturesque holiday island of Capri which is more Don Labrador than Don Corleone.

An already messy case for the investigating detectives is made all the more difficult by the fact that any one of 1,000 suspects could be responsible and each of those has a shaggy dog alibi.

The white-washed alleyways of the idyllic island have been besmirched by dog dirt. While owners are required to pick up their mutt’s mess when walking them on the street, many simply walk quickly on leaving the unwanted calling card behind them.

The city’s officials have had enough, especially as many tourists are having to slalom their way along the metre-wide streets to avoid the dirt.

The pooches’ owners may not be doing anything about the incriminating evidence but CSI Capri are more than happy to scoop up the gruesome samples and put them through 21st-century DNA testing.

From that process the scientists believe they can identify the pesky pet and — by association — the lazy owner.

The mayor of Capri, Ciro Lembo, has ordered that all the dogs’ genetic details be loaded onto a sophisticated database, ensuring the owner and canine are collared.

Fines will range from €25 up to €1,500 and the local media is speculating the size of the penalty could depend on the weight of the waste.