PEOPLE in Cirencester are spray-painting urgent messages around town, urging dog owners to pick up their pet’s poo.

Cirencester town councillor Roly Hughes took to the streets of Chesterton earlier this week to display a clear message on how dog owners should tackle the problem.

Armed with stencils reading “bag that poo, any bin will do” and bright orange spray paint, Cllr Hughes walked around residential areas and popular dog walking routes, spraying the pavement with the message.

He was joined by helpers Linda Lanchbury, Graham Holloway and Fiona Hawes.

“Dog mess in the streets is just not fair to other people without dogs or people with buggies who get the mess all in the wheels,” said Cllr Hughes.

“We need to get this sorted. This is a whole town project.”

Mayor of Cirencester Joe Harris has also been seen with the stencils and spray paint around town.

Chesterton Community Project, Cirencester Town Council and Cotswold District Council are all working together to make people clear up the mess their dog leaves behind.

“I’ve had a lot of stick about the spray painted signs,” added Cllr Hughes. “People have told me that dog poo is biodegradable but the paint is not. Well, actually it is. It washes away with the rain.

“Yes, dog poo is biodegradable but it takes a long time and we don’t want to see it on our streets.”

New research from Maximum Worming shows that three out of five dog owners in Gloucestershire have admitted to not picking up their dog’s mess but four out of five have said that they do think it is an issue in the county.