Neighbours have been told to clean up their act but none of them own a dog

Neighbours are kicking up a stink after Brent Council told them to stop letting their pooches foul in the street, even though none of them owns a dog.

The concerned residents wrote to the local authority about the dog mess in Donaldson Road, Kilburn, but the council replied and told them to clean up their act.

The response has angered the families, including children like Eleanor Smith who has stuck up posters calling on dog owners to be more responsible.

The four-year-old said: “It is very bad not to pick up dog poo. I think people should take it home with them to get rid of it. I’ve put signs up to tell them.”

In the 16 houses along the street, there are 12 children under the age of 11.

It is an offence not to clean up after your dog has fouled in the street and failing to do so can result in a �75 fine.

Eleanor’s mum, Lesley Smith, believes the problem has increased since the council made cuts to the borough’s street sweeping.

The mother-of-one, said: “In the last few months the level of filth has really increased and there are people leaving dogs’ mess daily.

“The council says it will patrol the area but we’ve never clapped eyes on anyone.

“They need to be here every morning, as that is when the mess is left. It is new on the pavement at 8am when the children are dashing off to school. If people can’t manage dogs cleanly they shouldn’t have them.”

The borough has only two council officers who deal with dog fouling. The local authority said it relies on residents to help identify offenders. It added: “A general letter, clearly addressed to dog owners and non-dog owners, was sent to residents.

“No specific dog walkers were referred to or identified in the letter. Signs have also been erected but some people choose to ignore them.

“As the officers can only take action if they witness an offence taking place, it would be really helpful if residents could provide a description of the person, a description of their dog and the exact time they were seen.

‘‘This would be a great help in ensuring officers visited at that particular time of the day.”

Residents can report the nuisance to the Environmental Health Unit on 020 8937 5252 or email environmentandprotection@brent.gov.uk