‘DOGGY detectives’ are being reminded of the potential money-earner sitting right on their lawn.

Last year, Hyndburn Council became the first in the North West to launch a radical ‘pooper snooper’ scheme, where residents paid for helping catch those who let their dogs foul in public and fail to pick it up.

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Amateur sleuths were asked to take pictures of the guilty parties, before getting their address and reporting them.

The move came after the number of fixed penalty notices issued to pet owners in the borough fell from 39 in 2006 to eight last year, despite 269 resident complaints.

And in October, the first £50 was handed out to a resident who helped bring about a successful fine against an inconsiderate dog owner.

Now the borough’s bin wagons are displaying banners asking, ‘poo dunnit?’ and promoting the scheme.

Environmental boss at Hyndburn Council, Cllr Paul Cox, said: “We need local people to help us in the fight against dog fouling and so it’s great that our fleets of recycling and refuse vehicles are out about all over the borough helping to promote the £50 reward scheme.

“We take a proactive approach to dog fouling, but we can’t have a dog warden on every street corner .”

The council said a dog fouling case is currently pending in court, while several fixed penalty notices were also issued by PCSOs in Clayton-le-Moors.

Cllr Cox added: “This campaign is about getting the message through to the minority of irresponsible dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs that we are on the case.

“Dog fouling is unsightly, unpleasant and can be dangerous to health and this scheme is part of our campaign to tackle it.”

To qualify for the reward, residents must take a picture of a dog fouling, another of it leaving the site with its owner, and a third of the muck once they’ve left and inform the council.