I INITIALLY wrote to ask when the council was going to try a practical solution to the problem of dog fouling on the paths up to the Hills. However, I have been beaten to it by someone who clearly has no understanding of the psychology and physiology of either dogs or humans. We now have some pristine red dog litter boxes in the car parks, but:

1. Dogs do not defecate immediately they get out of the car, but shortly after they have started a walk;

2. Humans do not readily walk down a hill with their carrier bags when the dog has defecated half-way up;

3. Humans, especially visitors, are unlikely to carry a supply of Waitrose/Safeways/Somerfield carrier bags and even less likely to pick up their dog mess when there is no notice requesting them so to do;

4. Humans also need to be reinforced if they are to continue their 'good' actions, and punished if not; there therefore has to be some way of enforcing any bye-laws such as having a warden or volunteer on the paths leading from the car parks at random times over the weekends.

I walk over 1,000 miles a year on the commons and the Hills and have picked up my dogs' messes quite happily. It has always been a concern that these 'fragrant' carrier bags are mixed with everything else in the bins to be picked over by birds, animals and people. So, a big welcome to the red bins, but PLEASE could they be sited at the top of the paths with a notice at the bottom? Then we might make some progress.

DIANA MAIDEN, Pickersleigh Road, Malvern.