MIDDLEWICH Clean Team has appealed to dog walkers in Middlewich to be more responsible when cleaning up after their pets along the canal tow paths.


The dog poo bins along the tow paths in the town have been overflowing recently and the voluntary group, the Middlewich Clean Team, is urging dog walkers to report the full bins to the council, rather than not picking up after their dogs, or adding to the mounting pile.


Janet Chisholm, Middlewich Clean Team chairman, said: “Middlewich Clean Team would like to appeal to the dog walkers who enjoy our canal tow paths in order to exercise their pets.


“The vast majority are exceptionally responsible but as with anything we have a few people who for whatever reason leave the dog poo or even worse bag it up and throw it into the embankment.


“On the last MCT litter pick the dog bin under the bridge by the King’s Lock was terrible, it was full and an enormous amount of poo bags were surrounding it.


“It was reported to Ansa immediately by MCT and was cleaned up within 24 hours.


“If the bin is full it should be either taken to the next available bin or disposed of at home. I also encourage any member of the public to report full dog bins to Cheshire East Council. They do take all reports seriously and will endeavour to sort the problem swiftly.”


The overflowing bins have been a talking point on social media among Middlewich residents and despite Janet encouraging people to contact Ansa, residents have voiced their concerns that they are not emptied often enough.


One Middlewich resident, Sara Brookes, posted a picture of an overflowing dog bin on Facebook, with the message: “There is a big enough problem of owners/walkers not picking up after their prize-pooches without this. What incentive is there to encourage keeping pathways 'poo-free' when the bins are allowed to reach this capacity?”


Report any dog fouling issues at cheshireeast.gov.uk/environment/street_cleansing_and_litter