INCONSIDERATE dog owners who allow their pets to foul pavements and playing fields are set to be given instant £50 fines.

The fixed penalties will be issued to anyone who refuses to pick up mess left behind by their dog.

But if the fouling takes place on a children's play area or other "morally sensitive" site, the pet owner will face a court appearance -- and a fine of up to £1,000.

Currently, taking people before the magistrates is the only option taken by Bolton Council in its war against dog fouling, which blights public spaces across the borough and spreads disease.

Fixed fines would cut legal costs and speed up the penalty process.

Dog service wardens will swoop on dog owners who walk away from their pets' mess without making an attempt to dispose of it.

Offenders' names and addresses will be taken and telephoned through to the Dog Control Office, which will run the details through a database. First-time offenders will be given a fixed penalty and 14 days to pay. Repeat offenders and those who fail to pay the instant fine will be taken to court.

The revenue from the fixed penalties would be ploughed into other areas controlled by the town's environment department. A decision on fixed penalties will be made in the next few weeks.

Cllr Guy Harkin, Bolton Council's deputy leader and executive member for the environment, said: "This matter is one which greatly concerns many people and greatly offends almost everybody. It's a proven health hazard and we are determined to tackle this problem.

"We as a council fully support dog ownership and we have run various initiatives to educate people. But there are dog owners who just do not care and do not clean up after their pets."

The local authority adopted the Dog (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 three years ago. Since then, dozens of people have been taken to court with typical fines being £500.

Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly said: "I fully support these measures. There is no excuse for dog owners to allow their pets to foul footpaths or areas where, in particular, children play.

"Hopefully it will ensure that these kind of dog owners will act more responsibly in the future."

The Keep Britain Tidy Group claims dog fouling is the number one complaint from members of the public.

Spokesman Peter Gibson said: "Fixed penalties are an excellent idea. Dog fouling is not pleasant and it's a terrible health risk. Promoting measures such as this will undoubtedly reduce the number of incidents."

The move has also been backed by the RSPCA. A spokesman said: "Anything which promotes responsible dog ownership is to be applauded and fixed penalty fines could well prove to be a strong deterrent for those who do not clean up after their pets."