Dog owners and non-owners alike are heavily in favour of stricter punishments for those who allow their pets to foul the streets.

Worcester City Council’s environment committee will meet to discuss a new order for the city which could see a dog owner fined £100 if they don’t clean up after their animal.

They could even be fined if they have too many dogs or take one into some designated ‘dog- exclusion areas’.

The Public Space Protection Order, if passed, would mean anyone in charge of a dog must remove its mess unless the landowner has agreed they don’t have to, or there is a very good reason not to.

A dog must not be taken into a ‘dog exclusion area’ and one person must not try and control more than four dogs at a time.

Councillor Joy Squires is chairman on the Environment Committee which will vote on the plan on Tuesday.

She said: “It’s become obvious that we have to do something. We’ve tried other measures and people just haven’t responded. So, while it may seem extreme, a lot of people agree that the protection order is something we need to do.”

Cllr Squires said creating dog exclusion orders, although it’s possible as it is part of the proposals, is not the main priority. She added: “That’s not what we’re looking to do.

“The main thing is about the number of dogs people are trying to control, especially in Worcester’s parks.

"If someone is walking more than four dogs, they can’t properly control one, or pick up after it. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the parks.”

More than 70 per cent of people who responded to the public consultation into the measures put forward by the council in February said that they thought dog fouling was a big or fairly big problem in Worcester.

Three-quarters of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed with the measures being implemented across Worcester city as a whole. A huge majority of 90 per cent agreed with fines of up to £100 for dog-owners who don’t comply with the orders, and possible prosecutions for serial offenders.

Currently a fixed fine for dog-fouling is set at £70. Registered blind people with guide dogs or those with a disability who have an assistance dog are exempt from the order.

The committee’s meeting will start at 7pm next Tuesday at the Guildhall.