CALLS have been made for tougher measures against dog owners who don't pick their pets' mess.

Burnley councillor Andrew Newhouse is calling for harsher penalties against 'irresponsible' owners who repeatedly fail to clean up after their dogs.

The Burnley Conservative group leader has suggested introducing bigger fines for repeat offenders and putting up CCTV cameras to catch dog owners in the act.

His call comes three weeks after Burnley Council announced it would award a three-year contract to Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Services as part of the local authority's campaign to keep the borough's streets and public areas clean.

The contract renewal follows a 12-month pilot project with the private company which saw street patrols tackle littering and dog fouling. More than 5,600 fines were handed out by the litter enforcers in the first year.

On average nearly 500 fines a month were handed out across the borough in the last 12 months.

Cllr Newhouse, who represents Cliviger and Worsthorne, said the high number of fines dished out indicated that the on-the-spot fines, each costing £75, have not been enough to deter owners from failing to clean up their dog's mess.

He said: "I hear reports of cars just pulling up the public area and letting their dog out.

"The dog goes for a walk around and does its business and then the dog and their owner go back into the car and drive off. It's completely unacceptable.

"Some of my suggestions won't be popular with some councillors or residents but it is a public area and some people will find themselves put off by the dogs.

"(Kingdom) have done a good job but I still think more can be done to be more proactive and deter persistent dog foulers."

Cllr Lian Pate, executive member for community and leisure services, has defended the council's policy and claimed the CCTV proposals would be 'ineffective'.

She said: "We hope these £75 fines are a deterrent to most people. The law doesn't allow us to increase the fine for subsequent offenders, but if you continue to do it you will find yourself in court.

"CCTV might sound like a good option, it is unlikely to be effective. The cameras have to be overt, with signage displayed to say they are there.

"Whilst it might deter someone from fouling in that spot, it is only likely to move the problem elsewhere, trawling through footage is also a very labour intensive job.

"If you have information that would help officers catch offenders then you can email this to streetscene@burnley.gov.uk."