Wigan dog owners urged to bin the bag and 'walk this way' in new scheme

West Lancashire Borough Council, the Dogs' Trust and Wigan-based Keep Britain Tidy are making it easier for them to responsibly bin the dreaded black bag – by working on new maps at Beacon Country Park which show where dog mess bins are.

There are also colour-coded walking routes which clearly mark the length of the walk and direct walkers to the nearest bins to dispose of their dogs’ waste, which will be in place until November.

The Walk This Way project is a joint endeavour between The Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy.

The programme has been extended to include just 12 new sites in the UK.

This has been done after a National Trust survey of 2,000 dog owners found that 13 per cent admitted leaving behind bagged dog mess, either accidentally or deliberately.

Coun Yvonne Gagen, leader of West Lancashire Borough Council, said: "Beacon Country Park is a wonderful place to visit.

"Providing clean, green spaces for everyone to enjoy is important on so many levels, particularly in improving everyone's health and wellbeing.

"We are really pleased to be one of only 12 new sites included in the Walk This Way programme and the new maps and bins will really help dog owners by showing where they need to dispose of their dog's mess."

Michelle Moat, community education and engagement officer at Dogs Trust, said: “Walking a dog is a wonderful past time with many health benefits for both owner and pooch. “However, part of being a responsible dog owner is ensuring you pick up after your dog and suitably dispose of the waste.

"Previous interventions have shown that by having more bins available, clearer signposting and messaging that ‘Any Bin Will Do’ has dramatically improved the surrounding areas.

“We’re excited by the potential of our new Walk This Way routes and can’t wait to see the improvements it will make. Hopefully it will be a long-term change to the area and make the space more enjoyable for everyone.”

Keep Britain Tidy litter and place services manager, Rachel Scarisbrick, said: “We are pleased to be continuing this partnership to help dog owners clear up their dog poo and make green, public spaces free from unwanted waste.”