Council prosecutes Banwen women after escaped dog fouled grass

At Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (23 March), 37-year-old Stacey Richards of Roman Road in Banwen was fined £40 after after admitting an offence under The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.

Miss Richards was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £16 and costs of £331.52.

The court heard the incident happened on August 22^nd, 2022, when a small white dog was seen by the enforcement officers fouling an area of grass next to a lane at Roman Road.

The dog was then seen to go into the rear garden of a property in Roman Road, entering via a space below a fence.

Miss Richards was spoken to at the property by the officers and admitted being the owner of the dog. She was then issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.

The council said that despite being given extra time to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice, and having received two reminder letters, no payment was received from Miss Richards, so a decision was taken to prosecute. 

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones, said: “Enforcement is key to tackling the minority of dog-owners who blight the environment and risk public health and this case is a reminder of the consequences of not picking up after pets.”

The council added that around 100 cases of toxocariasis are diagnosed each year in the UK. Local authorities in the UK receive approximately 226,000 complaints about dog fouling every year

The cost to British taxpayers of clearing up after dogs is estimated to be around £2.3 million per year.