Pictured: Mr Conley caught on camera (above left) and Howdon Road where the latest offence was committed.
An irresponsible dog owner is paying the price for failing to pick up after his pet for a THIRD time as a crackdown on dog fouling in North Tyneside continues.
Maurice Conley, of Penman Place, North Shields has received fines totalling £1,150 since first being taken to court by North Tyneside Council in November 2015.
The 54-year-old has been caught three times leaving his dog’s mess on the pavement and has wound up in court on every occasion, twice because he refused to pay a £50 fixed penalty.
On March 17, Conley found himself in the familiar surroundings of North Tyneside Magistrates court, where was fined £405 for the most recent offence on Howdon Road, North Shields.
A Community Protection Officer from North Tyneside Council had watched as he made no attempt to clean up after his dog and then brazenly walked away - and because Conley had been prosecuted twice before, the council took him straight to court.
The previous incidents saw Conley fined £440 in November 2015, and £305 in December 2016, after being taken to court for his refusal to pay a £50 fixed penalty fine.
Colin Boxshall, the council’s community and public spaces protection manager, said:
“It beggars belief that somebody would continue to commit these offences, even after receiving such hefty financial penalties. Mr Conley just isn’t getting the message, but all of this could have been avoided if he had cleaned up after his dog in the first place, and then accepted the £50 fine once he was caught.
“If it’s true that he simply doesn’t care about the cleanliness of our pavements, he should at least think about his own bank balance, which is going to continue to suffer if he keeps committing these offences.”
“The council is committed to tackling this problem and we are sending a clear message to irresponsible dog owners that dog fouling is completely unacceptable and people will be fined or taken to court if they don’t pick up after their dog.
“We have a zero tolerance approach and dog walkers are warned to either pick up after their dogs or risk a £50 fine.”
Since the council launched its latest crackdown on irresponsible dog owners in September, Community Protection Officers have targeted several locations where residents have highlighted dog fouling as a concern. Most dog walkers were seen to act responsibly and pick up their dog’s mess.
This week another 14 council workers have been given delegated power to issue on the spot fines to anyone they witness as failing to pick up after their dog has fouled.
Residents can report irresponsible dog owners anonymously by calling the Envirolinks on 0345 2000 103, or online at www.northtyneside.gov.uk