DOG mess in Swindon could be sprayed luminous green in a bid to shame owners into cleaning up after their pets.

Coun Abdul Amin, (Lab, Walcot and Park North) is calling on Swindon Council to consider every option available, including this unorthodox tactic which was previously used in the town during targeted clean-up events.

Mr Amin, who has received complaints from residents about dog mess, branded those who fail to clean up after their pets as irresponsible.

He said: “These people should be banned from owning dogs.

“The consequences could be very serious if a child fell in dog mess.”

Coun Amin said a committee is in the process of being set up to tackle the problem.

“We’re looking at putting more bins up and signs warning people they’ll be issued with an £80 on-the-spot fine if they’re caught not cleaning up after their dogs,” he said.

He said he would also suggest to the council they use spray paint to highlight dog mess once more.

“This made such a big impact in Slough last year, reducing fouling by almost three-quarters. We’ll see if we can bring it back in Swindon,” he said.

Earlier this week an anonymous resident contacted the Adver complaining of increasing levels of dog mess in the Old Walcot area.

She claimed the council only employed one person to deal with dog mess in the town. “It’s getting ridiculous – I saw someone dumping 20 bags of dog mess behind an electricity box recently,” she said.

The council says it provides more than 100 dog bins around the borough. A council spokesman said most dog owners are responsible and use them, or dispose of their pets’ mess at home.

He said: “Unfortunately, there is a selfish minority who can’t be bothered to clean up and leave the mess for other people to step in. When it comes to enforcement we do what we can with limited resources, but we can’t be on every street all of the time.”