People failing to clean up after their dogs on the Strawberry Line near Yatton are being warned they face on-the-spot fines of £75.

The clampdown is being led by Yatton Partners and Communities Together (PACT) team which is joining forces with North Somerset Council environmental chiefs and police. The drive is being launched as part of national Poop Scoop Week, run by the Dog's Trust, between June 22 and 28.

PACT members have been looking at ways to combat the issue of dog fouling following complaints from walkers and cyclists about the level of faeces along the line, which runs from Yatton to Cheddar.

North Somerset Youth Offending Team has been working with North Somerset to monitor the instances of fouling. It had been intended to highlight the problem by spraying the unpleasant deposits with fluorescent pink paint, but a whole can was used up before they had gone 30 metres. In one day, the team logged 63 instances in the first section of the walk at Yatton station.

North Somerset Council environmental health team and police community support officers will be patrolling the line during the month and issuing on-the-spot fines of £75 to anyone failing to clean up after their pets.

A spokesman for Yatton PACT said: "The issue was brought to our attention by local residents who are fed up with the amount of dogs mess along the Strawberry Line.

"The line is popular with walkers and cyclists who have had enough of having to dodge the mess."

By law it is every dog owner's duty to clean up after their dog and failure to do so can lead to an on-the-spot fine of up to £75 or a prosecution.

Dog faeces can be a threat to human health, cause diseases such as 'toxocare canis' and cause blindness in children.

There is no vaccine, nor is one being developed.

The PACT spokesman said: "The message that the PACT wants to get out to pet owners who do not pick up after their dogs is that they run a high risk of getting caught and fined.

"To put other people's health at risk because of selfishness or laziness is unacceptable and there are many people out there who want to make sure these inconsiderate dog owners change their ways.

"National Poop Scoop Week is a good time to start."

North Somerset Council principal environmental health officer, Dee Mawn, said: "It is the small minority of people that are spoiling it for all the responsible dog owners in the district and if we can raise awareness to change people's attitudes and habits then this will go part way to solving the problem."

PACT members are appealing to people who see others allowing their dogs to mess to report them by ringing North Somerset Council environmental protection team on 01275 884882 giving their name and address, or a car registration number.