Dog mess DNA tests 'not ruled out' after council fighting irresponsible owners

The ground at Oakes Road will be fenced in later this month

DNA testing of dog mess has not been ruled out in a bid to rid a Suffolk town of irresponsible dog owners.

Bury St Edmunds councillor Paul Hopfensberger made the suggestion as nearly £20,000 is being spent erecting fences on two football pitches.

Local teams playing at the grounds are forced to remove the mess before their matches.

Mr Hopfensberger said of DNA testing: "I'm not saying we're going to do it, we have to look at it."

Two pitches at Oakes Road and Tollgate Recreation Ground, which are in the councillor's ward, will be fenced in later this month to the tune of £19,855.

He described the move as "democracy in action" but when asked later about DNA testing the dog mess, told the BBC: "At the moment we haven't got all the information on the DNA testing.

"But we have asked a national company, they are successfully implementing it in other counties around the UK, so I think it's something we have to look at.

"I'm not saying we're going to do it. We have to look at it, get the facts, get the details, to see if it will work in Suffolk."

CFC Bury coach Mark Stiff said often they have to clear up before they kick off their games.

"It's not all the dog owners, we have dog owners come up to us and chat to us while the game is going on, before and after, they're fantastic," he said.

"But it's just got to a big problem now where its the irresponsible ones, I would love all soccer pitches to be fenced off, especially youth pitches."

Money for the project came from the Premier League, the FA Facilities Fund, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and some individual councillors' locality grants.