A day of action to highlight the problem of dog fouling has taken place to show the public there will be no messing with offenders.

Keep Wales Tidy, Tidy Town and council officers were joined by community leaders and volunteers in streets and parks throughout Carmarthenshire.

They were armed with bright yellow chalk paint to enable them to highlight the volume of the issue in locations including Pendine, Laugharne and Whitland.

Said Chris Delaney, clerk of Laugharne Township Council and Pendine Community Council: “ Despite all our efforts, there are still irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up the mess left by their dogs on Pendine beach and Laugharne foreshore.

“These are attractive areas, visited by thousands of people from inside of and outside of Carmarthenshire.

The action day army also offered expert advice and dog waste bags to the public.

Said Dan Snaith, Carmarthenshire project officer for Keep Wales Tidy: “It was great to see officers and locals out in force to help[ with the awareness-raising campaign.

“We hope that the bright yellow spots will alert people to the issues in certain areas, and hopefully we can re-visit the same sites next year to see if the dog fouling has reduced.”

Executive board member for environmental and public protection, Councillor Jim Jones, said: “Anyone that is caught failing to clean up after their dog in a public place will be fined.

“Not only is it extremely unpleasant if you step in it, but dog mess could lead to serious health problems in some circumstances.”

The council is appealing to residents to help catch offenders by reporting dog fouling incidents under the Dog Watch scheme by calling Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567 or at ilocal.Carmarthenshire.gov.uk