COMMUNITY leaders in Haddington are calling for more action to tackle the town’s dog fouling problem.

It comes as figures show that, on average, just 20 fixed penalty notices have been handed out each year in the county to dog owners who allow their pets to foul public places.

The figure were revealed as part of a recent Freedom of Information request covering the period 2009 to 2013.

Haddington’s community council debated the issue last Tuesday.

Secretary Pat Lemmon told members the problem was so bad she could barely step out of her front door without encountering the menace.

But community warden Callum Colquhoun stressed the issue was not that bad in the town compared to the sheer number of dogs.

He said: “There are dogs fouling but it is not as big a problem as you think.

“You’ve got to think of the population, the houses and the number of dogs.” Mr Colquhoun put the population of the Haddington area at about 10,000, with nearly 5,500 houses in the EH41 postcode.

He added: “One in three have a dog.In my street alone there are 16 houses and 11 dogs. We are probably talking between 1,000 and 1,500 dogs.

“It’s only a few dog owners that are letting us down.” Community council chairwoman Jan Wilson and vice-chairwoman Margaret Ingle both flagged up problem areas in the town, with Lydgait and the new cemetery on Whittingehame Drive mentioned.

Mr Colquhoun urged the public to get in touch with information if someone was spotted allowing their pet to foul.

He said: “Catching the offenders is the hard part.” However, the community warden was able to share a couple of examples where people had been caught. A dog seen fouling in Tranent was followed home and the owner handed a fixed penalty notice, while another was dealt with similarly in Musselburgh.

And he was hopeful the change of seasons would make it easier to catch dog owners in the act.

He said: “We’ve just gone through the winter period where it gets dark very early. It is almost impossible to catch anybody when it is dark.” East Lothian Council provides free poop scoop bags in council buildings and libraries.

Mrs Wilson added: “It is not easy [to catch people] but [dog fouling] is not pleasant.” People caught failing to clear up after their pet can be fined £40, with the figure rising to £60 if it is not paid within 28 days.

Fines totalling £2,640 have been dished out from 2009 to 2013, with the money going to the local authority to further help tackle dog fouling.

Anyone who doesn’t pay a fine within the given time period will be pursued by sheriff officers, who have the legal right to recover both the amount of the fine and any expenses incurred.