A NEW clampdown on littering and dog fouling in Calne could see offenders hit with fixed penalty notices of £75.

Calne Town Council is looking to stamp out the bad behaviours with the launch of a new awareness campaign called Keep Calne Clean which they hope will boost the cleanliness and welcoming appearance of the town.

The awareness campaign will see stickers featuring campaign mascot Cain the dog distributed and town council staff have completed training to issue the fixed penalty notices of £75 to those who drop litter or fail to clear up after their dogs.

Despite the town's aesthetics being recognised by judges of the RHS South West in Bloom awards, where Calne was awarded a Gold status, the town council fear litter is becoming an ever increasing problem.

The town council's street cleaner collects three to five black bags of litter every day, a service which is in addition to Wiltshire Council's street cleaning responsibilities.

Outdoor Services & Facilities Manager Stuart West said: "We see issuing the fixed penalty notices as a last resort, and hope through our awareness campaign the community has more of an understanding about the impact of litter and dog waste.

"Apart from the legal consequences of dog fouling, failing to clean up after your dog can also cause health issues to others. Toxocariasis is a rare infection caused by roundworm parasites which can spread from animals to humans via their infected faeces.

"The symptoms can be unpleasant and difficult to treat. Dog mess is also a slip hazard and can cause infections when in contact with wounds.”

Despite the threat of £75 fines the council have stressed that they would rather work with the community to solve the problem and encourage residents to be more responsible.

For more information about the scheme, visit Calne Town Council’s website www.calne.gov.uk.