I DECIDED to spend a day on patrol with dog warden Becky Gravett in an attempt to find out if she and the council are really doing all they can to tackle the issue of dog mess on the streets.

I have spoken with many Horncastle residents and it is an issue many people feel strongly about.

There are two dog wardens who cover the district of East Lindsey.

Becky Gravett, who has worked as a dog warden for four years, is responsible for picking up and looking after stray dogs found on the streets, yet, increasingly, her role is becoming more about catching and fining people who do not pick up after their dogs.

During the winter months, Becky notices there is an increase in dog mess on the paths.

She told me: "I don't know why people are less likely to pick up after their dogs in the winter months.

"I have five dogs myself and I know how important it is to clear up their mess. There are many serious diseases that are spread from dog to dog or even from dog to person as a result of leaving faeces on the paths.

"It's difficult to find the culprits of dog fouling as most of them clear up the dog mess when I'm there and leave it when I'm not.

"People think if there were more dog wardens patrolling the town all day, every day, or more dog bins then we would be able to solve the problem.

"But I've spent whole weeks where I've walked around Horncastle all day and not caught anyone leaving the dog mess.

"Even if we had more dog wardens it is impossible to monitor every single street all the time.

"I've started work at six in the morning and worked until the evening every day and it hasn't made any difference.

"There are 50 dog bins in Horncastle and people can also use regular bins or the new multi-purpose bins.

"I don't think having more dog bins would solve the problem as many times I've spotted faeces left on the path next to dog bins."

After walking around with Becky all day, I am beginning to realise it is not easy to find the owners whose dogs leave mess on the pavements – as residents who witness it don't come forward, so there is no evidence to catch people.

Despite patrolling for hours, sitting in her van on the streets and chatting to dog owners, Becky doesn't get very far in establishing who the culprits are.

We spoke to every dog owner we saw who were all annoyed that it is just a few people who don't clean up after their pets.

One resident said: "I see the same people taking their dogs for a walk and not cleaning up after them. Yet I feel powerless to do anything about it as I don't know their names or any details."

Another dog owner said: "I know some of my neighbours don't clean up after their dogs, but I don't want to report them as I don't want to cause problems."

But Becky reminds residents they can remain anonymous and to come forward with any details they have.

She added: "We need witness statements as we can't be everywhere at once to catch multiple dog owners not clearing up after their pets.

"Even if it is just the time of day that the dog is regularly taken for a walk or breed of dog, we can look into it and hopefully encourage the owner to be more responsible.

"The problem is people know who is not picking up after their dog but they will not report it.

"The council can employ more dog wardens and put more dog bins in towns but it is not enough to make people clear up their dog's mess. People will only stop if they are reported and fined."

The community needs to work together to stop people leaving dog mess on the pavements of Horncastle - so come on dog owners - clean up after your pets!