ANTISOCIAL dog owners who allow their pets to foul public spaces in Tenbury have proven a major problem for the town.

So far CCTV cameras and the threat of heavy fines has had a limited impact in solving the problem and so another weapon has been added to the armoury.

A musical plea to dog owners to pick up after their pets has hit the right note with users on social media.

Dan Bayliss and Jude Allen, members of Malvern Hills District Council’s Community Services team, produced the song ‘My Doggy’s Done a Whoopsie’ to highlight the proper way people should deal with their dog’s mess.

They decided using music would be a fun way of getting the message across and it proved an instant hit, with more than 5,300 views so far across the council’s social media sites.

The song, which is set to the tune of ‘He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands’, features lyrics promoting the message people can put bagged dog mess in any litter bin - not just dedicated dog mess waste bins.

“The video is a bit of fun but it has a serious message to it,” said Ms Allen.

Dog fouling has been a serious problem in Tenbury for many years and the Town Council has tried a number of initiatives to try to put a stop to the problem.

Mayor of Tenbury Mark Willis and town councillors have staged a number of public clean-up operations in a bid to draw attention to the problem.

Mark Willis said that he was especially ashamed when a rugby match between Tenbury and a visiting team had to be stopped on a number of occasions so that the pitch could be cleared of dog mess.

There have also been appeals for people to report incidents of dog fouling to Malvern Hills District Council and hidden television cameras have also been used in a bid to try and catch people who have failed to clean up after their pets.

In some cases people have been seen putting dog mess into a plastic bag and then leaving it on the ground or even putting it in tress for others to deal with.

Earlier this year Malvern Hills District Council became the first local authority in Worcestershire to also make it an offence for dog owners not to carry a dog mess bag or other means of cleaning up after their pet.

Failing to do so could result in a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice or court action which could result in a fine of up to £1,000.

Tenbury Town Council will be monitoring if the legislation changes behaviour.