No messing!

BIG clean-up... Roughyeds centre Mick Fogerty with club mascot Roary (left) and the Keep Britain Tidy mascot

OLDHAM Roughyeds have joined forces with the council and Keep Britain Tidy to clampdown on dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets.

The Co-operative Championship One grand finalists have offered their full backing to the cause and are helping to raise awareness of the issue among supporters.

Dog mess can be thrown in any general litter bin but a recent Keep Britain Tidy poll revealed that four out of five respondents were unaware of this fact.

Phil Barton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Dog fouling is the most offensive type of litter on our streets and is constantly rated as one of the most important issues blighting their local area by the public.

“Having our streets and parks caked in dog mess is disgusting. It looks unsightly, can make areas appear run-down and is dangerous to our health.

“Being a responsible dog owner means picking up after your pet.”

Oldham Council is one of 85 authorities across England who are teaming up with Keep Britain Tidy to clean up their streets.

Councillor Rod Blyth is Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for community safety and public protection.

He said: “We are delighted to be backing this initiative with Keep Britain Tidy.

“The majority of dog owners are responsible members of the community but a small number of inconsiderate owners choose not to clean up after their pets. This anti-social behaviour causes annoyance to people using our streets, parks and countryside, and worse still, it can cause a serious health hazard.

“As well as this campaign we are also currently consulting the public on important proposals for dog control orders which could see them extended in order to improve community safety across the borough.”

The campaign was launched in association with Oldham Rugby League Club at the Whitebank Stadium.

A trailer roadshow which will distribute leaflets and advice to the public will also be out and about around Oldham this week.

Fronting the national Keep Britain Tidy campaign is two-year-old Amiee Langdon, who lost partial sight in her left eye after falling in dog mess last month.

Amiee’s mum, Suzanne, is calling on all dog owners to clean up after their pets to prevent anyone else suffering the same fate as Amiee.

There are currently around eight million dogs in the UK producing about one million metric tonnes of faeces each year — enough to lay 1,300 Wembley-sized football pitches.