by Graham Tutthill

gtutthill@thekmgroup.co.uk

A call to give Civil Enforcement Officers in the district more powers than just dealing with parking issues is being discussed by councillors.

It could mean they will be issuing penalty notices to those who drop litter or let their dogs to foul the area as well as motorists who flout the parking regulations.

Civil Enforcement Officers were formerly called parking attendants and before that traffic wardens.

When CEOs came into being in 2008, they were given more powers but it was left to the discretion of the local authorities which powers they would use in their own individual areas.

Dover District Council decided to restrict their activities to parking offences, while other councils decided they should tackle other issues, including anti-social behaviour and "environmental offences" such as litter.

Cllr John Goodwin said this week: "At the council we are pushing for Civil Enforcement Officers to have increased powers to fine people for dog fouling, littering and hopefully cycling in non-cycling areas.

"I have watched them walk down the Barton Path where dogs foul and there is nothing they can do. They only have the same powers as us."

Cllr Goodwin, who is a member of both the town and district councils, said he expected the CEOs would resist the change.

"It will need a lot of pushing," he said. "We also want people named and shamed in the local newspapers. Fine them for dog fouling and littering and put the story with photos in the paper. People would be more wary then."

He said that if the officers were given the powers, they would need to be out late at night and early in the morning as at least 70% of dog fouling took place under cover of darkness."

Members of the council's scrutiny committee have recommended that the officers should have the extra powers.

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