DOG owners in Chard and Ilminster are being warned not to dump dog waste collected from their gardens in dog bins at parks.

South Somerset District Council’s Streetscene Services has found bins with bags containing large am-ounts of dog waste collected from gardens.

Some bags are so large they will not fit in the bins and have been left underneath or next to them.

A spokesman said the problem was affecting schedules as the vehicle used can only carry a certain weight and once that had been reached, it had to go to the waste disposal facility to tip it, which can mean a round trip of up to two hours.

The spokesman added: “This could mean some bins may not be emptied every week due to time taken up travelling to and from the waste disposal facility.”

Leaving bags of dog waste under or next to a dog bin could be classed as flytipping and therefore lead to the offender being prosecuted and fined.

Portfolio holder for environment Cllr Jo Roundell Greene said: “This has become an increasing problem for Streetscene Services over the past couple of months.

“We are keen to stop this practice by some dog owners now, before it becomes a major problem.

“The bins provided are for dog waste collected while walking dogs, not from your home.

“So please dispose of dog waste from home at home, not in our beautiful parks and open spaces.”

Council enforcement officer Lyndsey Williams said anyone who saw someone disposing of large amounts of dog waste clearly taken from their garden can report the incident to the council on 01935-462462.