DOG walkers across Worcestershire are urged to clean up their act as part of a new campaign launched this week.

Worcestershire County Council's countryside service wants to encourage people to keep the region clean by removing dog mess from public areas.

It has launched the Bag It, Tie It, Bin It campaign, aimed at the small minority of people who fail to clear up after their dogs when visiting the county council's 19 countryside sites.

Councillor Derek Prodger, the county council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "We receive many compliments from people about the cleanliness and tidiness of our countryside sites but we receive complaints about dog mess. Unfortunately, this is because there is a small minority of dog owners who do not clear up after dogs."

Mr Prodger said dog walkers were some of the most loyal and regular visitors to countryside service sites and the majority majority behave in a responsible manner. He said: "The service has established good relationships with its dog walkers and continues to welcome them to their sites."

The campaign, which has been launched in response to public feedback, will see countryside site officers handing out flyers and dog bags to dog walkers at the larger countryside sites over the next few weeks. Posters will also be displayed at all of the sites in a bid to spread the word.

And at St Wulstun's local nature reserve (LNR), Worcester Woods and Waseley Hills Country Parks officers will be flagging up the problem by putting flags into dog mess to highlight the issue.

Figures from the Govern-ment's Cleaner Safer Greener Communities campaign show 95 per cent of people are worried about the amount of dog mess in public places. It was also cited as the third most important concern by users of public spaces in the county council's citizens' panel survey 2005.

It is an offence for a dog owner not to clear up after their dog has fouled land open to members of the public and covered by the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 or Dog Control Orders, which are part of the Clean Neighbour-hoods and Environment Act 2005.

Dog wardens and other authorised officers can impose £50 on-the-spot fines to people who fail to clear up after a dog under their control. In certain circumstances, dog owners can be prosecuted and a maximum fine of £1,000 imposed.