Pink sprayon '˜dog dirt'

The new initiative is part of a fresh campaign being rolled out locally.

Members of the Triax Neighbourhood Management Team (TNMT) this week joined Derry City & Strabane District Council Dog Warden, Mickey Duddy, as they dropped leaflets about responsible dog ownership to homes in the Lecky Road and Dove Gardens areas - the first of several planned areas to be targeted.

Speaking about the addition of the spray, Colm Barton from Triax said: “This is about highlighting the issue of dog fouling and raising awareness of it across these areas .”

As well as alerting local people to where the dirt is, it may also drum the message home to those owners who are allowing their pets to foul in streets and public spaces, that the dirty business is being monitored.

Mr Barton added: “This is the second week of this awareness project and there is quite a few areas we are planning to do. We are doing a focus street-by-street.”

The spray being used, he added, is chalk-based, environmentally friendly and washes off pavements easily.

In addition to Triax, the new campaign involves input from the Bogside and Brandywell Initiative, Housing Executive wardens, council dog wardens, council cleansing and local councillors.

Dozens of red dog dirt bins have been erected across Derry to accommodate owners who clean up after their animals.

And more than 28 tonnes of dog faeces was lifted from the council installed bins during the year to April 2015.

However, councillors at a meeting last week said the issue of people failing to use such facilities and allowing their dogs to foul in the street and other public areas was still the number of one complaint from residents across Derry and Strabane.

Council officers are currently exploring the possibility of using mobile CCTV cameras to catch those who allow their dogs to foul.