A WAR on dog dirt has been declared after the first of 100 new dog bins was installed in the borough.

The first unit was put in place in Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle as part of a £15,000 bid to tackle problem areas.

The other 99 will be put in place on streets and parks in every town within the next two weeks after residents were consulted in June on where they would like to see improvements.

A dedicated post has also been created to ensure that each bin is cleaned out each week.

Cabinet member for environmental services Paul Cox said he hoped it would ‘place extra pressure’ on dog owners to clean up after their pets.

Yet whilst residents welcomed the measure Accrington’s Woodnook Res- idents’ Association secretary Brian Beston said that only proper enforcement would ensure that the bins were used.

The project’s money was safeguarded within last year’s council budget and when complete will bring the total of dog bins in the area to 354.

It is the latest measure to be taken by the council to tackle the issue since their team of dog wardens were given night vision goggles to track down dog fouling offenders last year.

Mr Cox, who is also councillor for Milnshaw ward, said: “This is a fantastic new initiative which we hope will further encourage dog owners to bin their dog waste.

“Reducing dog dirt has been one of the service’s top priorities because we want to ensure that our streets are pleasant and safe places to be.”

Thwaites Road resident Stuart Eaves said: “I’m really pleased to see the new bins being installed, anything which helps keeps dog dirt off our streets is really welcome.”

Meanwhile Woodnook resident Mr Beston said: “We have had issues with dog dirt in the park so I hope it will help the problem but think that to make a real difference the councillors need to urge people to use them.

“Staff should give out more free bags and encourage more action by the dog warden to help catch repeat offenders.”