Dog fouling costs Biddulph woman thousands

Failing to clean up dog mess in her garden has landed a Biddulph woman with a bill for over £2,000.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council issued an Abatement Notice in September last year to Mandy Jane Evans of 44 Duke Street, Biddulph requiring her to remove the mess to stop the nuisance it was causing to her neighbours.

This followed complaints to the Council regarding a bad odour and flies caused by an accumulation of dog faeces in the garden of the property.

Miss Evans failed to attend Stafford Magistrates Court on Wednesday 14 September to answer five counts of breaching the notice in March and July this year. She was found guilty in her absence and fined £1,320 and ordered to pay costs of £606 and victim surcharge of £132.

Councillor Mike Bowen, cabinet member for communities at the Council, said: "Failing to clean up after your dog is offensive and anti-social and it is not something that neighbours of pet owners should have to suffer.

"By taking this action, we have acted to protect the local community and I am pleased that the court found in our favour. It reinforces the message that behaviour of this kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."