‘Let’s ditch the dog dirt once and for all’

It has been revealed that Edinburgh has topped the league in Scotland for complaints about dog owners who do not clear up after their pets.

The Capital is also dishing out the most number of fines to offenders who are caught, and rightly so.

While surveys show that the general cleanliness of our streets is improving, dog fouling is constantly cited as a reason for letting the city down.

If you need evidence just ask the 5761 people who have gone to the trouble of lodging complaints with the city council about dog mess in the Capital in the last five years.

It is not just unsightly and disgusting, dog dirt is a very real health hazard.

While the majority of dog owners are responsible, the lazy minority responsible for the fouling of streets and parks deserve to be hit in the pocket – and face tougher penalties for repeat offending. Better still, they should be sent out on to the streets for the day to help clear up.

Owning a pet is a responsibility and a hard line needs must be taken against those who cannot, or will not, be responsible.

After all, it does not take long to clear up after your dog and, despite the recent well-publicised issues with refuse collections, dog waste bins are plentiful around the city and rarely overflowing.

Edinburgh issuing the most number of fines for anything is rarely cause for praise in these pages, but in this case the environmental wardens deserve full support.

The city council is right to go to war on dog fouling.

Let’s ditch the dirt once and for all.

Singularly brave

We rarely need to be reminded of the devastating impact of cancer.

But often amid the heartache, inspirational stories surrounding sufferers and their families emerge.

Today we tell the story of Claire Cordiner who bravely took to the catwalk for a charity fashion show in memory of her closest friend, Leona Levey.

Both had previously taken part in the event and it must have been an incredibly difficult decision for Claire to go back alone.

But she did go back – and she got through it, supported by her family and friends as she helped to raise money for breast cancer research. Most importantly perhaps, it is safe to say Leona would have been proud.