A UNIQUE community-wide initiative has been launched in Saddleworth to combat the growing blight of dog fouling streets and open spaces.

GMP’s local policing team is joining with Oldham Council and local Facebook groups to bring awareness and highlight problems caused by irresponsible dog owners.

The #WeScoopThePoop initiative comes against a background to mounting agitation and frustration about indiscriminate dog fouling.

It was triggered after Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group erected a large notice on the gates of Dawson’s Field in the A62 Huddersfield Road highlighting the issues.

Drawn in cartoon-style, it was designed by Robert Knotts, chair of Saddleworth Parish Council, and received widespread approval from villagers on social media and spearheaded a debate at last week’s Saddleworth and Lees District executive meeting.

The community group recently took over management of the field which is now used as an educational facility for children’s allotments and fosters community activities.

Now GMP says Pet Friendly Saddleworth Facebook group, which has more than 1,700 members, along with Pet Care Professionals from across Saddleworth are supporting the new iitiative.

Police said: “As a way of showing solidarity responsible dog owners who do clean up after their dogs are being asked to take a picture of their dog with their poop bag post collection and post on Facebook and twitter accounts to bring greater awareness to this issue which we see being discussed on an almost daily basis.

“We will be arranging clear up days through the next few months to bring areas back to a level of cleanliness that allows walkers to traverse without getting an instep full of poop.

“We will also be thinking imaginatively around how we can highlight deposits using pet friendly colour sprays.”

And they warn: “There will be consequences for persistent offenders who do not change the pattern of their behaviour in the form of fines and community based restorative justice sessions.

“We hope our community at Saddleworth and Lees fully swing behind this initiative and take part at some level whether that’s coming on a clean up day in your area or taking a picture of your dog with it’s bag used and tied up — it’s up to you.”

Cllr Knotts said: “Most dog owners are responsible but the executive meeting felt we should rely more on the responsible dog owners to put pressure on non-responsible ones. We should appeal to their moral conscience.

“Overall, we have to start with an education process. That initiative should come from Oldham Council. Saying it’s the dog owners responsibility to clear up, while stating the obvious, does not tackle the problem.”

PC Lee Cullen said: “The dog walker community hastaken on the mantle of superscoopers and media streams have gone viral with loads of pictures of dogs and their collected no2s.

“As a community we are looking at clean-up sessions to tackle the worst areas and that will be within next month.

“We thinking of being imaginative around persistent offenders being brought on side with some education and guidance as opposed to going straight to hammer and nut scenario.

“Possible community rstorative sessions done in a way that is both sensitive and not demeaning to the offending party with an offer for them to take in possible community clear up sessions which have been labelled as “Scoopathons” by the dog walking community.

“This would be a meet up at a certain area and then a walk through picking up the deposits.”

A spokesman for Oldham Council said: “Dog poo is the responsibility of the owner to clean up after their dog. If we are provided with evidence then we will take action.

“This is a national issue and we do what we can with the resources available.

“Figures f for 2017 show we received 40 complaints and prosecuted one person.”

Check: #WeScoopThePoop#SaddleworthCommunityPartnership