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City Hall did not issue a single dog fouling fine last year despite people filing hundreds of reports about the smelly substance plaguing the city's streets. The shocking statistic was revealed by Norwich City Council in a recent freedom of information request which showed the authority handed out zero poo-related penalties between September 2023 and August 2024. During this time, however, 562 reports about the problem were filed.
A spokesman for City Hall said it only received seven official complaints - which are elevated reports - about dog fouling, which carries a maximum penalty of £1,000. Dog fouling is a widespread problem in Norwich, according to many (Image: Newsquest) But people living in the worst-hit streets say the problem is getting worse and are calling for more action to be taken to tackle the issue such as installing signs and CCTV. Liam Calvert, Green Party councillor, said the number of reports made directly to the council's website since 2022 is 1,537, with Heathgate, Denmark Road and City Road the most blighted areas.
Councillor Liam Calvert says City Hall should commit more resources to catch fouling (Image: Liam Calvert) "As a parent of young children, I know the disgust of finding that child has fallen in dog mess left by a selfish owner," he said. "Labour-run Norwich City Council seems to be all too happy for us all to pay to have this filth cleaned up but does almost nothing to prevent irresponsible owners from leaving it in the first place. "As with littering and fly-tipping, an almost total lack of enforcement leaves the perpetrators with nothing to fear and responsible residents paying the cost.
"Seven people went even further and used the formal council complaints system to complain about the lack of action." But a spokesman for the council said that incidences of dog fouling were “relatively low” which is “borne out by the number of complaints we received last year”. He added: "Issuing fines for dog fouling is challenging as a council officer would have to witness it happening and owners often change their behaviour when they know officers are nearby.
"Reports are a helpful way for residents to let us know about incidents of dog fouling so we can be made aware and can take action if necessary." Dog poo which has been deliberately left on the ground is a common sight in some parts of the city (Image: Newsquest) People living in the worst affected areas say the problem is getting worse. Yann Baker, 42, who lives in Gertrude Road, Mousehold, which has seen more than 20 complaints made in recent years, said: "Everything you hear about dog mess down here is true.
"It's one of the worst in the city and it has gradually gotten worse over the last four years. "I've been here for 11 and there are definitely 'brown spots' where you can't go - some people are forced to walk in the road because the path is so thick with dog poo. Hannah Simmons-Thom points out the problem areas in Gertrude Road where she lives (Image: Newsquest) "To call this area 'the worst' for fouling would be accurate.
" Heathgate, close to Mousehold, was the worst-hit street in the city between 2022 and 2024, seeing 69 reports filed. Denmark Road was second with 45, and City Road came a close third with 40. And Hannah Simmons-Thom, a mum of three who also lives along Gertrude Road, said: "I moved in last April and it's been horrific, especially at the front of my garden.
"A big problem is people don't know what to do if they see fouling happening - how do we report it and will something be done? Hannah Simmons-Thom wishes something more could be done to address the issue (Image: Facebook) "We obviously don't want to go around challenging people but a lot of us have young children who ride bikes and run around, and especially with summer coming it's a problem. "I can see people around here banding together to help remedy it if there was one offered. "Things like signs, CCTV and a more accessible reporting system could help the word get around and make offenders more aware that people are keeping an eye out.
"Ultimately it's not like a car speeding where you can take down their number plate, so more education for dog walkers and the ramifications of fouling is needed." Alleyways such as this often fall foul to dog mess (Image: Newsquest) In nearby Hethersett, cases of dog fouling have gotten so bad that Broadland and South Norfolk District Councils have renewed the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to enforce dog fouling restrictions across both district areas. The parish council also issued a warning to would-be offenders, saying: "Residents are increasingly raising concerns about dog fouling around the village.
"It is never okay to not pick up after your dog - there are multiple dog waste bins located around the village for ease of owners. "Each PSPO makes it an offence for a person in control of a dog not to clear up the dog mess immediately, on any land that is open to the air and to which the public is entitled or permitted to have access." These rules extend to the city where Norwich City Council erroneously claim dog fouling does not happen.
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