Classes for louts who fall foul of law

LITTER louts and dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets are to be sent on compulsory education courses to encourage them to change their ways.

Shetland Council is bringing in the move to replace on-the-spot fines for the twin blights of pavements and parks.

The compulsory classes, Shetland Islands Council believes, will help people "understand the impact on the environment and the quality of life of residents".

The measure, will be officially ratified today by the council's infrastructure committee, will buck the trend at other local authorities throughout Britain of issuing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for such offences.

At present, those who drop litter or leave behind their dog's deposit can be subject to on-the-spot fines of 40, rising to 60 if the penalty is not paid within 28 days.

Those who refuse to pay up, meanwhile, can be reported to the procurator-fiscal, and face the prospect of a 500 fine.

The powers allowing errant dog owners to be punished were established seven years ago thanks to the Dog Fouling Act 2003, which was backed by a 100,000 publicity drive by the former Scottish Executive.

However, implementation of the legislation is patchy – some local authorities pursue the matter with zeal compared to others.

Glasgow and Edinburgh, for instance, fined 273 and 144 dog owners respectively in 2007-8, compared to just 12 and 15 FPNs emanating from West Dunbartonshire and South Ayrshire.

For their part, officials in Shetland – who issued 21 FPNs last year – believe the method, designed to act as a deterrent, is inherently flawed.

Maggie Dunne, the environmental health department's service manager, is eager to pursue the "alternative to payment".

She said: "A high number of FPNs are issued in areas of highest deprivation. The residents have more complex and chaotic lifestyles, and my real concern is these people are being seriously disadvantaged."

In addition to the education programme, which will teach people about the law, the environment, waste management, and the "feeling of the community", offenders will be taken on patrol with one the island's four neighbourhood support workers.

Ms Dunne said that repeat offenders who choose to ignore the education message will be forced to pay fines, but added it would only be a last resort.

Elvira Meucci-Lyons, head of campaigns at the Dogs Trust, said: "We thoroughly support this positive and proactive action to educate dog owners about responsible dog ownership instead of imposing financial fines.

"In order to work, financial penalties need to be properly enforced. If this is not possible because offenders are simply unable to pay a fixed penalty, then they won't work, no matter how high the fine."

The move towards the education-based preventative approach represents the latest effort by the council to crack down on dog fouling. It is an offence that has become the focus of much political debate on the islands, and one which has encouraged somewhat unorthodox measures.

Last summer, the council recruited volunteers to scour the islands for signs of fouling. Armed with cannisters of bright pink dye, the so-called "poo spotters" sprayed the unwelcome deposits to try and shame owners into clearing up.