THE Chair of Cynwyd Community Council says he has been "contacted by a number of residents" who are concerned about dog fouling on footpaths in and around the village.

Last week, Denbighshire County Council reminded residents to clean up after their dogs or face a £100 fixed penalty notice, which could rise to £1000 should the matter go before the courts.

Council officials added they "had seen an increase" in the number of complaints made by members of the public about owners not picking up after their dogs, in particular since the start of the lockdown.

Cynwyd Community Council chairman Huw Evans says he too has been approached by locals in his area who share the same concerns as the county council.

He said: "Our group has been approached by a number of residents with complaints about dog fouling on a number of local paths around the village. This has been relayed back to the County Council.

"We live in such a beautiful area and we want people of all ages to enjoy the local areas too, especially as we are going through a difficult time at present with the covid- 19 virus.

"Notices have now been going up on local paths, especially on the old railway track to Corwen, highlighting the importance of respecting the local environment and managing your dogs fouling by placing it in designated bins or bagging up and taking home."

Despite the coronavirus lockdown, the Public Spaces Protection Order still exists, which makes it an offence to not pick up dog mess in public open spaces. This order includes the ban on dogs using certain sections of the beaches from 1 May until the end of September.