New measures will help to tackle irresponsible dog owners in Tendring.

An area-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is being put in place by Tendring District Council (TDC), targeting dog fouling and nuisance dogs off leads.

The PSPO, which comes into effect on Thursday, 1 August, allows authorised council officers to request a dog is put on a lead; and issue fines to owners who do not comply.

It also allows officers to issue increased on the spot fines – of £100 – to those who do not pick up their pet’s mess.

The PSPO, which was approved by the council’s Cabinet following a 12-week public consultation, covers all public land – including TDC and town and parish council land – in the Tendring district.

Mike Bush, TDC’s cabinet member for the Environment, said: “Residents asked us to take a tougher stand on dog fouling and this PSPO will strengthen our hand when dealing with   irresponsible owners.

“The majority of dog owners clean up after their dog and ensure their pet is on a lead in public areas if it cannot be controlled by command, but there is a small minority of owners who do not.

“This order is another tool in the box for us to deal with them, helping to ensure residents can take pride in our area, raising quality of life and enabling us to champion our local environment.”

New signs stating the restrictions will be installed at a number of locations within the designated area.

PSPOs were first introduced to give local authorities the power to prohibit activities that have a detrimental effect on quality of life.