DOG owners who don’t clean up after their pet could be caught out by an undercover group of “pooper snoopers”.

Acting on intelligence from the public, Kingdom officers working on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen Council are targeting dog fouling hotspots around the area as they attempt to crack down on the problem.

Kingdom has been contracted by the council since October last year and officers have handed out more than 3,000 tickets since that time.

But the vast majority have been issued to litter louts, with just 16 tickets issued for dog fouling so far.

Now the council’s environment boss Cllr Jim Smith, says that is set to change as the authority looks to Kingdom for help in getting tough on those who flout the rules.

Plain clothes officers, alongside their uniformed colleagues, will be running operations one day a week in a bid to help clean up the borough.

To help tackle the problem of dog fouling, the council has also introduced a new Public Space Protection Order requiring owners to remove dog faeces, to keep dogs on leads in cemeteries and for dogs to be excluded from play areas.

Cllr Smith said: “If people know where it’s happening, tell us and we will pass the information on. We have not got the means to do it ourselves.

“Kingdom Services continue to respond to those seen dropping litter and leaving dog fouling, with since the start of the initiative in October 2017 3,104 fixed penalty notices issued, with a payment rate of 64 per cent, which is considered in the early stages of a contract by Kingdom Services to be a good rate.

“The first prosecutions are now with Legal Services and once convictions are publicised the payment rate is expected to increase.

“Since the launch, 16 fixed penalty notices have been issued for dog fouling, and the team is now running a targeted dog-fouling patrol one day a week, with both uniformed and non-uniformed officers using intelligence received from the community in order to target problem areas.”

To report dog fouling, go to www.blackburn.gov.uk/Pages/Dogs or contact the neighbourhood health team on 01254 585397.