A COMMUNITY warden has urged dog owners to dump their bags of poo in any green wheelie bins, telling them, “It all goes to the same place”.

Greg McGowan made the suggestion at Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council when members of the public raised concerns about a lack of suitable bins and ongoing issues with dog fouling.

He told the meeting: “As long as dog poo is bagged, it can be put in any bin.

“I would urge people carrying dog poo to put them in [domestic] green wheelie bins because, at the end of the day, they belong to East Lothian Council and the rubbish is all going to the same place.”

Mr McGowan said he was frustrated when he saw street bins with bags of dog waste left lying on the ground because the street bins were full or not marked for that purpose.

He told the meeting: “All bagged dog waste can go in street bins, bins marked for dog fouling and you have green wheelie bins all around.”

However the advice raised concern from some community councillors who said it might not go down well with the green wheelie bin’s owners.

One community councillor said: “It is more likely there will be a confrontation if you just put it in someone’s green bin as you pass.”

But Mr McGowan insisted dog owners would be in the right, adding: “The green bins belong to East Lothian Council. It says so on the lids.”

His advice was later contradicted by his employers East Lothian Council, who insisted this was not a suitable way to dispose of waste.

A spokesperson said: “Green wheelie bins are provided for use by an individual household only. If a dog owner is out and about and no public bins are available then they should take the bagged waste home to deposit in their own bin.

“Ideally, we appreciate it if dog waste is ‘double bagged’ when put into the domestic waste bins to minimise contamination.”

Mr McGowan urged people who witnessed anyone not picking up after their dogs while out and about to report it to the community warden service.

He told the meeting in Port Seton Centre last Tuesday that there was only one community warden covering each ward in the county and they needed the public to make them aware of problem areas to be able to tackle them.

The community council is promoting Cockenzie and Port Seton as “dog-friendly. . . poo free’ with posters being put on display and support for a Green Dog Walkers’ scheme which people can sign up to to be more proactive on their walks.