THE dirty dogs could have had their day.

Dog-owners look set to face tough new controls on their pets in Huddersfield.

They will be banned completely from children’s play areas and school fields.

And they will be only allowed in parks with dogs if the animals are on leads.

The new crackdown is set to be given the go-ahead by Kirklees councillors next week.

And they will also be asked to approve plans to give powers to 400 council staff to issue penalty notices for people flouting the ban and for dog fouling.

It is a massive problem across the area. Last year, the council had 2,188 complaints about dog fouling – an average of 42 every week.

Earlier this month, parents at several Huddersfield schools including Golcar complained about the state of paths and pavements around the school.

A council spokesman said: “Within Kirklees, dog fouling and other dog-related issues are high amongst the concerns raised in resident surveys and is seen as a key issue people wish to see tackled.

“There were 2,188 complaints about fouling last year, and 2,042 the previous year, as well as 977 dangerous dog complaints.

“We have consulted with 192 schools about what orders they want in their grounds and have got the go-ahead from four out of five parish councils we have consulted.”

Dog-owners who flout the law are likely to be given £75 penalty fines, which would be reduced to £50 if paid within seven days.

But those who ignore the penalty fines could be taken to court – and end up with a £1,000 fine.

The new campaign has four key issues: