Infrared CCTV deployed to combat dog fouling

Dog owners whose pets are guilty of illicit fouling have been warned — Big Brother is watching.

Clonmel Borough Council this week approved a policy which will introduce undercover surveillance of areas notorious for dog dirt and illegal dumping.

Infrared cameras will be installed in the offending spots around the town so video footage and images can recorded at night.

Offenders can be fined by litter wardens or prosecuted in a district court.

The news has been welcomed by Fianna Fáil councillor Siobhán Ambrose, who had campaigned for such a development.

“I have been inundated with people complaining in particular about the large volume of dog fouling on the footpaths in and around the town centre,” she said.

She said shoppers are “unknowingly walking into dog foul” and then bringing this into shops and their own homes.

“It is a similar situation for wheelchair users who are trying their best to avoid getting dog foul on their wheels and, in turn, their hands,” she said

According to Ms Ambrose, the council’s problem has been that the majority of dog fouling in Clonmel occurs in the evening when litter wardens are off-duty.

“Nobody minds anyone walking their dog in a public area but owners have to remember that dog fouling in a public area carries a fine and that all dog owners have a responsibility to carry either a pooper-scooper or a plastic bag with them when walking their dog,” she said.

“Groups like Clonmel Tidy Towns and Clonmel Borough Council are doing a tremendous job in keeping Clonmel’s litter under control but of course there are black spots and these areas can now be monitored.”