Dog owners in Keighley who fail to clean up after their pooches face a £50 on-the-spot fine.

A week-long clampdown was launched in the town on Monday by Bradford Council.

Irresponsible owners are being targeted by teams of dog wardens, working with police community support officers and other agencies. The campaign, being staged in response to calls from residents and local councillors for action, also involves visits to schools to educate children about the health dangers posed from dog faeces.

And leaflets highlighting dog owners' legal responsibilities are being circulated to vets, shops, health centres, dentists, schools, community centres, housing offices, the library, council information centre, town hall and the police station.

Terry Singh, the council's dog warden boss, said: "We ask all dog owners to act responsibly and clear up after their pet if it fouls in a public place. People should be extra vigilant near schools and anywhere children play because diseases from dog faeces can cause blindness.

"Our whole team is in Keighley for the week raising awareness of the issues and giving fixed penalty tickets to those who fail to clean-up after their dogs. We are trying to change the attitudes of those owners who fail to comply with the law and encourage them to accept their responsibilities.

"We are also visiting schools because the children are the dog owners of the future."

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the council's executive member for environment and culture, said: "We have responded to residents' calls for action and introduced a scheme to help ensure public places and footpaths in Keighley are made safer from dog fouling. We are eager to reduce this problem, which can pose a serious health risk." For further information contact the dog warden service on 01274 434366.