A TEAM of dedicated Sherston residents have made it their mission to stop dog fouling throughout the village.

Following a post on a Sherston Facebook group from Tracey Chivers complaining about someone leaving their dog’s waste in the street outside her house a discussion broke out and a group of residents resolved to take action.

Fellow villager Tony Baxter quickly mocked up a design for a poster and suggested to others that they should leaflet the village to encourage dog owners to be more responsible.

Mr Baxter explained that his partner Jenny Wooliams is a dog behaviourist and that he himself owns a printing business.

Creating a campaign for dog owners was a simple way for the two of them to make a difference to a cause they could both relate to as Sherston residents and dog lovers.

Mr Baxter said: “I’ve never seen a subject on Facebook be so volatile or have so much impact as this one.

“Really I just made the suggestion that rather than complaining people should do something about it.

“I don’t think that Sherston is worse than any other villages but people have been getting a little complacent and lazy recently.

“There are a few culprits who take the same tracks each day so it’s a daily occurrence there.”

Mr Baxter said that he did not want to be given credit for the initiative as despite creating the posters many others in the Sherston and neighbouring villages have helped with leafleting and supported the idea.

Mrs Chivers said that she originally posted the polite notice as a way of expressing herself but never expected the huge response she has since received.

She said: "I just thought I'd get a few friends writing a few funnies but I've been stopped in the street in Malmesbury and everything.

"I used to live in Malmesbury and there are just as many dogs there, it really is only a small minority."

On the doorstep the responses have so far been positive from both dog owners and those without pets as the vast majority wish to see the centre of Sherston completely free of dog mess.