TOUGH new measures are to be brought in by Pendle Council to tackle dog fouling in Nelson cemetery.

The move follows complaints by residents and councillors about dogs roaming all over the cemetery and owners even allowing their pets to foul on graves.

At a meeting last night, councillors rubber-stamped new polices.

These include the removal of all dog faeces from the cemetery, an order that all dogs must be on the lead, that they must be on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer and that anyone entering Nelson cemetery shall bring in no more than one dog.

Anyone breaking the rules could be fined.

Park ranger staff will also receive training in enforcing the new rules.

And £650 will be spent on new signs.

The move has been welcomed by Coun Mohammad Iqbal who said: "Unfortunately this seems to be a growing problem and it has increased over the last year.

"I think it's important that while we respect people's need to walk their dogs, clearly there is a need for them to think if it was their loved ones graves that this was happening to how would they feel?

"For people to discover dogs walking over the graves of family or friends or even worse fouling on them is not acceptable."