New £100 Fine for Dog Walkers Without Poo Bags Introduced in UK Coastal Hotspot

A POPULAR seaside hotspot has rolled out a new rule for dog walkers who aren’t carrying poo bags.

Failure to carry the bags could land you with a hefty £100 fine.

Hastings Borough Council has amended an existing Public Spaces Protection Order to now include fines for owners who fail to carry poo bags.

Anyone caught walking their dog without bags could be slapped with a £100 , reduced to £50 if paid within the first 10 days.

The also voted to extend the existing order for the next three years, which was due to end this summer.

Cabinet member for community safety and environmental services, Becca Horne, said the decision was intended to be a “real deterrent” to potential offenders, rather than about “coming down hard on people” financially.

She told Sussex World : “We want to give out enforcement officers an additional tool with which to engage with people and make them aware it’s their responsibility to have the means to clean up after their animals.”

“And, if they don’t have a bag on them, then a tissue or something similar will also be acceptable.”

The Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) was introduced by the council back in November, 2023, to tackle any issues of dog-related anti-social behaviour in the area, including the removal of dog mess.

It had been in place for the past three years, and was due to end this .

However, the council launched a consultation on the order, recommending that the PSPO be renewed for a further three years as well as the inclusion of some new amendments.

Regarding dog mess bags, the council proposed the following condition: “Any person in control of a dog shall, at all times, have with them a suitable receptacle or other means for the purpose of removing dog faeces, unless they can demonstrate a reasonable excuse for not doing so.

It also added that it would be an offence if someone failed to “produce a receptacle when requested by an authorised officer”.

Those who responded to the consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of the new rules.

While residents get used to the new rule, Horne has said that officers will be handing out dog mess bags to anyone without one in the first few months.

She added this measure would help the council identify hotspots where mess was regularly left.

The PSPO does include exclusions for those with a “reasonable excuse” not to follow the order.

Hastings locals believe the new rules to be a good move for the area, reports the BBC , with one local noting: “There should be an enforceable requirement to clean up after your dog – I don’t care whether it’s by using a tea towel or your hat.”

However, some residents queried how the council will enforce the rule and check that owners are carrying bags.

“They can’t really check our pockets to see if we’ve got any bags on us, can they? Isn’t that a breach of privacy?” questioned one dog owner.