Volunteers have been spray painting dog poo in luminous colours to highlight the problem and stop unsuspecting residents walking in the mess.

The bright initiative is part of a dog fouling campaign by Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council.

Armed with four spray cans in vibrant colours, Aniko Szocs, parish council clerk, and Joanna Watts, volunteer community warden, began their eye-catching spraying spree yesterday.

The pair have so far tackled Singleton Hill, Singleton Lake, Tithe Barn Lane and the path behind Great Chart Primary School - but they won't stop there.

Aniko said: "We are hoping to have more volunteers and cover a bigger area. We're going to continue for the rest of the week, and then again in July, and then again in August.

"We will continue to monitor the areas and see if it does reduce the amount of dog fouling in the area.

"We have four cans of spray so we could do with two more volunteers! We are using different colours for different areas and streets.

"It was Joanna's idea and the parish council supported it because we are often told by parents that dog fouling is a big issue so we decided to do something about it.

"We want to raise awareness of the issue so people actually pay attention and we hope the striking colours will help people really notice the problem.

"Hopefully it will make people think twice before they just leave their dog's mess all over the pavement.

"It also helps some people avoid stepping in it, so it is win win."

The clever plan is inspired by a number of similar projects across the UK that have been a success. Camden Council, in London, even claimed it resulted in a 72% reduction in dog fouling.

Joanna added: "Just to confirm, this is a temporary chalk paint that dries instantly when sprayed and disappears when it rains. When dry, it brushes off like chalk."

If you would like to volunteer to help with the campaign, contact Aniko at theclerkgcwspc@gmail.com.