DOG owners in Evesham, Pershore and Broadway who let their animals stray will be hit where it hurts - in the back pocket.

Wychavon District Council is cracking down on stray dogs in an initiative intended to clean up streets and remove a road safety hazard.

Owners of dogs that have to be collected off the streets by wardens more than once will be faced with a fixed penalty fine of £25 as well as kennelling and administrative charges.

Until now they have returned dogs up to three times to an owner before exacting a charge but have now decided that this was being abused and enough is enough.

"One chance is enough. Every owner of a stray dog gets and warning and it is unacceptable for them to allow it to happen more than once," said dog warden Pip singleton.

"We have previously spent far too much time trying to return the same dog to an owner time after time.

"Allowing dogs to stray is dangerous to pedestrians and traffic, it also leads to increased dog fouling which is unpleasant and potentially dangerous."

Council chiefs encourage owners to make sure their dogs have a collar, tag and are micro chipped but say this is not a licence to let the animal roam.