A CITY councillor has urged people to do their bit in keeping Worcester tidy.

Councillor Roger Knight asked a meeting of residents to report every incident of littering or dog fouling they saw because civil enforcement officers would not be able to do it alone.

He was responding to concerns raised by people at the St Peter’s and Battenhall PACT (partners and communities together) meeting.

They said they were worried by the amount of dog mess found, in particular around Tesco in St Peter’s Drive, as well as the trollies, carrier bags and general litter being left in the area.

And, while people agreed they were never going to win against the ongoing problem, Coun Knight suggested a more proactive approach.

He said: “I personally picked up at least 20 bags which were wrapped around railings.”

Coun Knight, head of cleaner and greener at Worcester City Council, described himself as being “responsible for all the dog mess in the city”.

Responding to a light-hearted suggestion that all dogs should have their DNA registered so their owners could be tracked when they failed to tidy up the mess left behind by their pets, Coun Knight said it was unfortunate, but the only way to fine a person was to see them commit the crime.

He said: “We need to catch them.”

Coun Knight told the meeting that the council had recently empowered all civil enforcement officers to be able to hand out tickets to those responsible for dog mess or littering – but they could not do it alone.

He said: “We have to make people aware that it is not acceptable and we are not prepared to tolerate the soiling of our city.

“I have reported three people for throwing litter out of the windows of their cars and they have all been fined.

“We need to report each incident.”

The next St Peter’s and Battenhall PACT meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 7, at 7.30pm at St Peter’s Baptist Church, St Peter’s Drive, Worcester.