Collingham village residents asked to ‘tag that turd’ by Collingham Parish Council in bid to tackle dog poo problem

A new initiative has been launched to try to stop the streets of a picturesque country village being spoiled by dog poo.

In the UK it is an offence not to clear up after your dog in public spaces, and anyone caught can be fined up to £1,000. However, this doesn’t seem to have deterred some pet owners in Collingham.

Now, Collingham Parish Council is hoping to turn the tide on the tirade of turds terrorising their village — with the launch of a new dog poo mapping survey where residents can ‘tag that turd’.

To log — pardon the pun — any incidents of dog fouling, residents simply need to fill in an online form with a date, time, whether or not a poo is bagged or unbagged, and include a What3Words location (an app that generates three words to contribute to an exact map location).

The parish council is also looking to hand out small paper flags — referred to as “poo sticks” — and encouraging anyone who comes across a “doggy deposit” to literally flag it, and snap a picture to share.

Data gathered from the survey will allow the council to better focus their efforts, by identifying hotspot areas and making changes where needed on an ongoing basis.

Parish councils are responsible for locating dog bins in Newark and Sherwood.

A council spokesperson said: “The issue of dog fouling has been an ongoing problem in Collingham, and has been brought to our attention by our residents — we are going to work with our parishioners to address this.

“We are encouraging dog owners to be aware of the issue they are causing to their neighbours, friends and themselves, and work with us to improve the appearance of the village.”

Plans are being drawn up to provide better signage around dog fouling, as well as providing more bins in hotspot locations — and dog poo bag stations for the occasions when an owner does not have a bag to hand.

The council is also exploring the potential use of trail cams to identify incidents of un-picked up poo, subject to what the survey shows over time.

In the week after it’s launch, the survey has already returned over 100 reported instances of dog fouling and bagged dog faeces found in hedges and on the streets of the Collingham — including around the entrance to the village primary school.

The survey is aimed at helping the council to find a solution to the poo problem as part of the Collingham Neighbourhood Plan, and is linked to the parish council’s entry into the 2025 Britain in Bloom competition.

Debbie Darby, who represents Collingham on Nottinghamshire County Council, praised the initiative.

She said: "Dog fouling is a huge issue across our district, and I’m thrilled to see Collingham Parish Council taking the lead in tackling it.

“Most dog owners are responsible, but a small minority still let the side down. I’ll be keeping an eye on the ‘tag the turd’ campaign — because when it comes to cleaner streets, every scoop counts.

“I’d encourage everyone to get involved — this could really catch on, not just in Newark and Sherwood, but all over the UK."

The online survey can be found HERE.

Information gathered from the survey will also be published through the council’s social media pages and website to keep residents informed.