At Truro Magistrates Court on Friday 08 November 2013, Newquay resident Mr Roger Parks Hobkinson (70) of Clifden Close, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £754 for failing to clear up after a dog in his control had fouled at The Gannel, Newquay. The dog was also not wearing a collar.
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The latest offence, committed on May 2013, was witnessed by local dog welfare officers. Mr Hobkinson had previously been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £722 in March 2012 and £180 in September 2011 for similar offences committed again at The Gannel, Newquay.
Magistrates have now ordered that the full £754 be paid within 7 days.
Allan Hampshire Head of Public Health and Protection at Cornwall Council said: “I am pleased the magistrates have handed out such a high level fine to this individual. The issue of dog fouling and irresponsible dog ownership is one that blights many residents of Cornwall. This fine sends a clear message to the small minority of irresponsible dog owners that if you don’t clear up after you dog, the courts will fine you accordingly.
In order for action to be taken against these offences it is important that the offence is witnessed. Our Public Health and Protection service is the only Local Authority Department in the country to be approved by DEFRA to provide training to other officers, internal and external, to issue fixed penalty notices for dog fouling and littering offences. We have trained officers from quite a few local town and parish council’s in Cornwall to authorise and approve their employees to issue Fixed Penalty Notices. We are also training employees of our waste contractor Cory to undertake a similar role, as well as PCSO’s and Police Officers. All this work increases the number of people in our communities who are able to address these anti-social behaviour issues but what we really want is for dog owners themselves to be responsible for their pets and their actions.
