Fines not classes for dog fouling

COUNCILLORS in Shetland have rejected plans to educate those who have been caught dropping litter or dog fouling.

They said tackling the problem of particularly dog fouling needed a strategy of both "the carrot and the stick".

Environmental health officers had proposed an education programme "as an alternative" to the payment of a fixed penalty notice (FPN), which at the moment stands at 40 for dog fouling and 50 for dropping litter.

Councillor Rick Nickerson said he wanted to keep the deterrent element part of the council's policy to ensure that offenders who did not turn up for the education programme would still be issued with a FPN. His motion won by 12 votes to five.