Last December, a Council Community Protection Officer (CPO) and Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) were out on foot patrol in Hucknall when they spotted a man walking three Staffordshire Bull Terriers off the lead.

Under Ashfield's Dog Control Orders it is an offence to walk dogs off the lead on any roads and pavements in the district. Other offences include dog fouling and walking more than 6 dogs at once.

Jamie Doleman, 27, was issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) by the CPO and asked to put his dogs on a lead as he was in a Dog Control Order area, which he did.

After walking away from Doleman, the Officers then spotted him again on Hucknall High Street, surrounded by pieces of torn up paper.

A CCTV operator from Mansfield District Council radioed through to the PCSO present and informed him that Jamie Doleman had thrown the FPN on to the pavement and walked away leaving it as litter, which had been recorded. The CPO therefore wrote out a further FPN for littering.

Only five minutes later, further along the same street, Doleman was spotted yet again, taking all three of his dog off the leads and walking with them, re-committing the offence. 

The case appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday 11th July 2011. The magistrate found Jamie Doleman of Broomhill Road, Hucknall, guilty of not keeping his dogs on a lead and of littering. He was fined a total of £655.50.

Edd de Coverly, Head of Neighbourhood Services said: "The Council have introduced these dog control measures as a response to residents concerns and to enable us to take appropriate action if dog owners do not act responsibly. This case highlights that the courts take issues of littering and responsible dog ownership seriously and that Ashfield District Council will have no choice but to act if offences are committed.”