Douglas Council could bring in temporary CCTV units to combat the issue of dog fouling in the capital.

The council already operates a fixed CCTV network throughout the town centre and along the promenade, as well as some mobile CCTV units.

It said that both these types of CCTV systems are ‘primarily used for the prevention and detection of crime, as well as the safety of the general public’.

And the council said that such mobile CCTV can be requested by police to be deployed ‘to assist them in their investigations and operations so they can be effective both as a deterrent and an enforcement aid in incident hotspot areas’.

Douglas Council has recently hand-delivered letters to local residents ‘highlighting incidents of dog fouling and incorrect disposal of dog waste bags’.

‘Unfortunately the problem has not abated and we are appealing to local residents to contact us confidently should you witness any incidents where dog faeces have not been removed by the dog walker or where dog waste bags have been discarded in public spaces,’ a second letter read.

It continued: ‘Your assistance is vital in helping us to tackle this anti-social behaviour and keep the streets free of dog fouling.

‘We can assure you that any reports to the council will be treated confidentially and our follow-up investigations will be handled sensitively.’

In addition to having wardens patrolling the area affected, the council provided 696300 as a number for the community and enforcement team which incidents can be reported to.

Failure of an owner to remove all dog dirt can result in a fine up to £2,000 under the Dogs Act 1990.

Douglas Central councillor Stephen Pitts, who represents an area in which residents received letters, said that he was in favour of the idea of mobile CCTV to combat what he says is a long-standing issue of dog fouling.

Mr Pitts told the Courier: ‘I walk around the area [of Douglas central] quite a bit and there is quite a bit of it [dog dirt].

‘In fact I walked down there the other day and saw some.’

He said that he had previously requested the council’s mobile CCTV to be deployed to combat fly-tipping.

Mr Pitts added: ‘I’d be fully in favour of using it, certainly if it helps against dog muck.’

Asked if constituents had raised the issue of dog fouling with him before, Mr Pitts said: ‘It’s more or less constant. There’s always somebody somewhere in Douglas telling me about it.

‘I had a lady get in touch earlier, not in central Douglas, but further up near to Shoprite.

.There’s lots of dog fouling going on around there too.

‘But you can’t catch people, can you?

‘You’d have to be stood there 24 hours a day trying to catch someone walking their dog – but cameras obviously could do it,’ he added.

CCTV has already been used to deal with dog fouling problems in the past.