New Milton Keynes Council wardens have handed out surprisingly low number of dog poo fines in last four months

While the wardens have dished out 2,725 on-the-spot fines in the past 16 weeks for people seen throwing litter, just four dog owners have been punished for not picking up after their pet during the same period.

The enforcement officers were recruited by MK Council and started work on January 4, with the mission of keeping the borough’s streets clean.

Dressed in smart black uniforms, they have the power to issue a £125 on-the-spot fine to anyone seen throwing litter – including even a single cigarette end.

They have also been given equal powers to issue fines for dog fouling under MK Council’s Public Space Protection Order.

Last week the council’s Labour and Liberal Democrat Progressive Alliance proudly announced how many penalty notices the wardens had handed out to litter louts since January 4. The number averaged 38 fines a working day.

The Citizen asked for details of how many dog owners had been penalised for leaving poo on the streets of MK since then.

A spokesman for the Progressive Alliance told us: “There have been four issued since January 4 2022.”

At the time the scheme was launched, Cabinet member for the Public Realm, Cllr Lauren Townsend said: “We will clamp down on offenders who think it’s acceptable to litter our streets. Not only is littering unsightly but cleaning up after careless litterers is also an additional and totally avoidable pressure on our limited resources.

"We want to keep Milton Keynes clean and green.”