BODY cameras are to be worn by council officers to help catch people who fly-tip, litter and allow their dogs to foul.

During a trial period, which began this week in Chorley, officers are wearing the small cameras attached to their uniform to capture evidence at the scene and support prosecutions.

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Chorley Council said it decided to act after continual complaints by residents about dog mess and litter.

The council will be trialling the cameras for the rest of March and the cameras could be rolled out more widely if they prove to be successful.

Officers will wear them out on patrol and they will be used to gather evidence and act as a deterrent as part of its ‘Don’t Mess With Chorley’ campaign.

The council said that it is keen to hear what residents think of the move.

Councillor Paul Walmsley, who oversees enforcement at Chorley Council said: “We’d be interested to know what people think of this idea.

“We’re not using it as a ‘big brother’ approach.

“It’s simply to help us reduce the amount of mess on our streets. It might seem a bit extreme but we are prepared to do whatever it takes to reduce the amount of dog fouling and mess.

“The warning to irresponsible pet owners is that we will catch you and take action.

“This could lead to a hefty fine and criminal record.”

Cllr Walmsley added: “Generally, Chorley is a clean and tidy place.

“But the minority of irresponsible dog owners and residents are spoiling it for everyone else.

“Trialling the body cameras is one option we are looking at to catch the culprits.”

The authority and police issued 22 fixed penalty notices regarding dog fouling in 2014 and had two prosecutions in court.

Since January the council has had 183 reports of dog fouling.

There have been eight fixed penalty notices issued.