PEOPLE in Scapegoat Hill have vowed to rid their village of dog mess.

They have formed a new action group – called SCOOP – aimed at encouraging dog-owners to clean up the mess on paths and gardens.

But they insist they are not “anti-dog” and hope that their efforts will get general support.

The new action group was formed after a meeting between villagers and the Kirklees Council dog warden.

Helen Roy, one of the organisers, said: “There were concerns about the amount of dog mess on paths, outside people’s homes and even in gardens.

“Some even complained about finding dog mess, although wrapped in plastic bags, stuffed in their hedges or thrown in their gardens.

“Our group is keen to stress we are not ‘anti-dog’ or ‘anti-dog owner’ and many of those who attended the meeting were dog owners themselves. We just want to keep the village clean and safe for all”.

An action plan drawn up by the residents includes:

A plea for people to report offending dogs to the Dog Warden

Five more dog mess bins around the village

Signs for the village common asking people to clean up after their dogs. Local children are also being encouraged to join the campaign.

Residents said there were safety concerns as mothers with prams or walking with children had to sometimes walk in the roads because of mess on the pavements.

“We hope this is the start of the community working together to keep the village a nicer place tom live, with some residents suggesting planting bulbs for next year”, said Mrs Roy.