BODY cameras could be trialled as part of a new scheme to reduce the levels of dog fouling in a borough.

Residents from the Ribble Valley have raised concerns over the high levels of dog fouling.

Ribble Valley Council's dog warden enforcement service currently operates one full time warden and two part time members of staff.

They are tasked to deal with waste collection and enforcement.

The borough's dog warden policy was reviewed during Ribble Valley Council's health and housing committee meeting on Thursday.

In a heated debate councillors discussed ways to ensure dog fouling is cleaned up by the dog owner and not the warden.

Cllr Richard Newmark said: "The council find it hard to prosecute irresponsible dog walkers because the council needs evidence to back it up.

"If dog wardens wore cameras they could use the recording as evidence to prosecute irresponsible dog owners.

"I think most council officials, like traffic wardens, should wear body cameras anyway."

Cllr Richard Sherras said: "I think police wearing body cameras is a good thing but when you talk about council officials wearing them I can see it being very intrusive.

"In my view if you had 20 dog wardens it would not solve the problem of dog fouling.

"More local control should be introduced by parish councils in the borough to allow the formulation of ‘rules’ and enforcement to be exercised at a local level."

Councillors also debated a new scheme to tackle dog waste - the distribution of free dog waste disposal bags across the borough.

Council leader Cllr Ken Hind said: "The best way to deal with this issue is through education and for the public to recognise this is socially unacceptable.

"Picking up your dog's mess needs to be like night and day and become a part of our DNA.

"Dog owners need to clean up the dog mess using dog bags which we will be providing for free across the borough."

The council said this would allow communities to come forward to request more free dog bags, particularly in areas where there is persistent dog fouling.

Parish and town councillors will be asked to provide a ‘champion’ who would hold responsibility for requesting more bags as required by community groups.