NORTH East Lincolnshire Council is stepping up enforcement patrols in one of its cemeteries after complaints about nuisance dog walkers.
Signs at the Scartho Road Cemetery clearly state that dogs must be kept on a lead and people must pick up after their dogs.
A woman contacted the council last week because her 81-year-old mother was knocked over by a large dog when she was tending a grave.
The dog was loose and its owner out of sight when the incident happened.
Irresponsible dog owners are letting their dogs run free in the cemetery and leaving them to foul on graves.
Some owners are picking up after their dogs but then leaving the bags hanging on headstones and trees in the cemetery grounds.
In some cases, loose dogs are chasing deer and other local wildlife.
Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities at NELC, said: “I’m shocked to hear how a small number of irresponsible dog owners are behaving in the cemetery.
“Most people treat cemeteries with respect, but we’ve had complaints from families over damage to flowers and dog faeces on graves in the cemetery.
“This thoughtless behaviour is unacceptable. We are stepping up enforcement patrols in the cemetery and anyone who leaves their dog loose or doesn’t pick up after them will be fined £100.”
Officers from Local Authority Support carry out patrols and gather evidence which is passed on to Doncaster Council who issue the fines on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council.
Offenders will be given a fixed penalty notice of £100 or face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
Private patrols were introduced in November 2017 after a wide-ranging public consultation.
People said they wanted to see more enforcement against those who litter and don’t pick up after their dogs.
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