TWO tonnes. That's the amount of dog excrement collected from the 330 dog litter bins across the town every week enough to fill a small skip, if you can bear to imagine it.

And while the amount may seem surprising, it doesn't include the dog mess that irresponsible owners leave on the pavements around the town.

Residents in Weedon Road have already raised their concerns about the problem with Stratton Parish Council.

Those who live along the road are angry with owners who let their dogs foul the pavement outside their homes and then walk away.

New powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environments Act give dog wardens the authority to dish out £75 fines to owners who fail to clean up after their pets.

Every year it costs the council £38,000 to empty the dog litter bins, which have been in place since 2003.

The bins are emptied by a specialist contractor before it is incinerated.

The two tonnes of faeces would be enough to fill a small skip.

Coun Jemima Milton (Con, Wroughton and Chiseldon), Swindon Council's cabinet member for local environment and transport, said: "We collect between one and a half and two tonnes of dog excrement from bins across the borough every week, which is proof that many dog owners clear up after their pets.

"But there are still too many owners who allow their dogs to foul public areas, which is not just anti-social but also illegal.

"Where we can, we will prosecute, but it is not straightforward because we have to catch owners in the act of failing to clear up after their pets."

A Keep Britain Tidy campaign recently revealed that in one of its surveys, 76 per cent of people questioned believed that those who persistently allow their dogs to foul the pavement should have their dogs taken away.

They also believed these people should never be allowed to own a dog again.

Chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Alan Woods, said they understood the anger of the people who has responded to the survey.

"Because we know the health dangers of dog dirt and how unpleasant it is when it ends up on your shoes, we despise fouling in public places and those who allow it to happen," he said.

"While we don't believe that the threat of taking someone's pet is the answer, we understand the anger that drove 68,000 people to complain about owners to their local authority last year."

Gerry Potter, of Dukesmead Kennels, in Ogbourne St George, thinks stopping people from owning a dog ever again is taking it a step too far.

"I think taking someone's dog away and never letting them own another sounds a bit drastic," he said.

He thinks that the current £75 is too lenient and that it needs to be increased before people take notice.

"If you can get fined £2,000 for not having a TV licence, which doesn't hurt anyone, a £75 fine for not cleaning up after your dog is ridiculous," he said.

"I really think it needs to be increased to something like £500 and that they need to do more to enforce it. We need more education for dog owners and a tougher penalty."

Any residents who have an issue with dog fouling can report it to Swindon Council on 01793 466068.

It's a serious issue

Dog faeces can contain Toxocara eggs, which is the most common type of roundworm in dogs.

If a person comes into contact with infected faeces, usually through swallowing it, there is a possibility of contracting an illness called Toxocariasis.

Toxocariasis is a very rare illness with approximately two cases per million people every year.

In humans it can cause mild flu-like symptoms but in exceptional cases can lead to visual impairment or even blindness.

Freshly passed faeces is not a Toxocara hazard as any eggs present take two to three weeks to mature and require very specific conditions before becoming infectious.

The easiest way to avoid problems with Toxocara is to worm dogs and cats regularly.

If you are concerned that a child may have eaten dog faeces take them along to the GP for any treatment and advice.