People far 'poo' polite to cry foul

Dogs Trust is encouraging dog owners to pick up after their dogs

Apaarently we're 'poo' polite when it comes to tackling dog mess.

According to a Dog's Trust survey, un-scooped dog poop is the biggest bugbear in public spaces above littering, smoking and pollution.

Despite 70 per cent of us coming across the issue at least once a week, we're just "too polite" to do anything about it.

According to the research by the charity - which launched its The Big Scoop campaign this week - 63 per cent of those questioned had witnessed someone failing to pick up after their pooch.

Over three-quarters of them said they were too polite to tackle the offender for foul play.

A staggering 12 per cent admitted they'd even cleaned up after a stranger's dog themselves.

Just over a third of respondents said they had approached dog owners to clear up after their pet but more than half said they would be put off speaking to an owner because of their appearance.

A further 28 per cent said the size of the dog in question would also impact on their decision.

To mark this year's 'The Big Scoop' campaign, Dogs Trust is encouraging dog owners to pick up after their dogs and to remind them that "any bin will do" when getting rid of doggy doo.

Alex Jackson, head of campaigns at Dogs Trust, says: "Dog poo is still one of the biggest complaints received by local authorities every year, with 81,000 complaints received from members of the public last year alone, so it's important that everyone is aware of how simple disposing of dog mess can be.

"The Big Scoop campaign not only supports local authorities to help keep their local area a pleasant and dog poo-free place, but also aims to educate the public on responsible dog ownership.

"Failing to pick up after your dog gives dogs and dog owners a bad name, but, encouragingly, we only need to persuade a small minority of owners to scoop their dog's poop to achieve our mission of making community spaces poop-free."

Owners face a fine if caught failing to pick up after their dog.