NO-GO zones for dirty dogs are busily being drawn up by Hyndburn Council - and officers will be empowered to issue on-the-spot fines to the owners of those that do "go" on them.

It is all part of the government's new Dogs Fouling of Land Act coming into force soon.

And, evidently, extra action is necessary as the council gets more complaints about the mess left by dogs than anything else.

All councils, we hope, will follow Hyndburn in exploiting these extra powers aimed at putting a legal leash on inconsiderate dog owners.

But mapping-out foul-free areas will be of little use without real enforcement. And that is the whole trouble with this problem.

There are, after all, local government anti-fouling by-laws galore already, but, because there are precious few prosecutions, the mess and the complaints are widespread.

Two cheers for the new law, then - and three when the councils make it bite.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.