Outrage as dog poo bags 'stuffed into Hadrian's Wall'
What does British law say about dog poo and when you might be fined for not picking it up?
Dog walkers have been accused of stuffing poo bags in the gaps of the historic Hadrian’s Wall rather than holding onto them to throw away.
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Northumberland National Park has blasted pet owners of defacing the 1,900-year-old Roman structure with the mess, despite signage telling them not to.
Margaret Anderson, head ranger of Northumberland National Park, has called on dog walkers to carry the poo bags to bins after picking up the excrement.
"It's a real sense of frustration, we have this amazing structure here which so many people want to come and enjoy," she said.
"For somebody to think it's acceptable to wedge poo bags into a Unesco World Heritage site, well actually it makes you quite sad.”
But what is the UK law around picking up dog poo?
What does the UK law say around picking up dog poo?
The Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 states that owners have a duty to pick up poo after their dogs and that local authorities can bring Public Space Protection Orders to prosecute offenders.
Councils have defined boundaries of where the protection orders are in place and those found to have violated the requirements can face a fine of up to £100.
Failure to pay the fine can then result in a £1,000 fine being imposed by a magistrates’ court.
As well as council wardens, local authorities can be informed of dog owners allowing their dogs to foul by public tip offs and CCTV recordings can also be used in prosecution.
However, there is perhaps a greater emphasis on it being the responsibility and duty of a dog owner to take on - even without great risk of being caught.
Ms Anderson added: "It's not hard to carry your poo bag, you can get little pouches to put it in, pop it in your pocket or your backpack until you get somewhere where you can dispose of it."