Dog owners who don’t clean up their pets’ mess are facing £80 fines.

Brighton and Hove’s first crackdown on dog fouling offences is to be launched in the Goldsmid ward, Hove.

Council officers have agreed to give staff the power to hand out on-the-spot tickets.

Councillor Melanie Davis, who represents the area and has been pushing for the pilot scheme to be introduced, said: “This is great news for Hove. I constantly receive complaints from residents in the area about the state of the pavements with regard to dog fouling.

“I have been working closely with residents, pet owners and local police teams to push for tougher action.

“Hopefully this will encourage all dog walkers to take responsibility for their pets.

“We will be working to ensure that the Conservative council reinvests the income generated by these on the spot fines of up to £80 into continued street-cleaning programmes.”