CREATIVE Kinver youngsters have been busy designing posters to encourage irresponsible dog owners to clean up after their pet.

South Staffordshire Council invited schools to take part in the competition to enforce its ‘bag it, bin it’ message.

Emma Gwilliam, from Brindley Heath Junior School in Kinver, scooped the top prize and was given a £50 voucher.

The seven-year-old was also presented with a £100 art voucher for her school by chairman of the council, Janet Johnson, at a special ceremony at the council offices in Codsall.

Foley Infants School pupil Kitty Webb, aged seven, and nine-year-old Bethan Saunders, from Brindley Heath Junior School, were named as runners up and received a £25 voucher.

Their posters have now been printed and put up in parks, council and community venues around the district, to remind residents they should always pick up after their dog.

Councillor Roger Lees, cabinet member for public health protection said: “The vast majority of responsible dog owners across South Staffordshire clean up after their pets and make sure our parks, open spaces and streets remain clean, green and great places to live.

“Working with schoolchildren across South Staffordshire we want to get the message out to the irresponsible few who don’t bag and bin their pets’ mess – it’s disgusting, it’s anti-social and it could land you with a fine of up to £1,000."

He continued: “The council cannot tackle the issue alone and we need the whole community to come together to spread the bag it, bin it message.

"Cleaning up dog fouling or dealing with complaints is an avoidable waste of taxpayers’ money that could be put to better use providing the services that local people want and need.”