I am sure that many ward councillors are approached by residents with stories of dog mess left lying on footpaths and other public places by inconsiderate dog owners. Despite the council installing a multitude of dog bins around the town, dog owners seem to think it is their right to leave their animals mess wherever it happens to fall.

Yesterday I visited one particular footpath in Tilehurst that has clearly been used as a public dog toilet for a very long time, the grass verges alongside the footpath are covered in piles of dog mess, despite the presence of a dog bin opposite one end of the footpath.

I cannot believe that dog owners would let their dogs pooh in the road outside their front door but they are quite happy to let their dogs pooh next to someone else’s house or garden.

The state of public places like this footpath are the reason that we Lib Dems have forced the Labour administration on the council to beef up the dog warden unit with an extra warden, despite the current financial position we find ourselves in. We do believe in keeping our streets clean and dog mess is a public nuisance.