'Offensive' local council under fire for 'No S**t Sherlock' anti-dog mess campaign

A local authority has come under fire for using the slogan 'No S**t Sherlock!' in an anti-dog mess poster campaign.

Sandwell Council hopes the hard-hitting initiative, launched alongside private sector provider Serco, will bolster its zero tolerance approach to dog-fouling.

One of two 'bold' posters featuring graphic images of dog mess shows a long-eared hound wearing a Sherlock Holmes-style deerstalker hat, and threatens law-breakers with a £75 fine.

More than 800 complaints about dog-fouling were received by the council last year and the posters are being put up in various locations around the Black Country borough, including parks, open spaces and dog mess hot spots.

Council leader Darren Cooper said: 'All the feedback we get from people in Sandwell shows that dog mess is a real concern.

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'For many it's the number one priority problem they keep reporting to us.

'It's a public health hazard - especially for children and young people who play in our parks and open spaces.

'It looks horrible, it gets stuck on your shoes and it costs council taxpayers' money to clean up.

'As a dog owner myself, I'm fed up with the small minority of people who don't clean up after their pets. It's something that really annoys the vast majority of responsible dog owners as well as others who tread in it.'

Mr Cooper added: 'We're fining and educating people - but people want us to do more.

'That's why we're taking such a strong and bold approach with this campaign.

'We need to get the message through to the small minority of irresponsible dog owners that the council and local residents are not prepared to put up with this any longer.'

But Tory councillor Mavis Hughes expressed displeasure that the Sherlock-themed poster features the partially-asterisked words 'No S**t'.

Ms Hughes, who represents Wednesbury North, told the Wolverhampton Express and Star: 'It's a swear word.

'There are children who will see this. I don't think we should be encouraging them to use foul language to describe dog mess.'

The campaign has received a largely positive response on the council's Facebook page, receiving more than 400 'likes'.

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But one Facebook user, Ryan Trumpeter, posted: 'So what do parents say to their kids when asked to explain the word?

'Does this make it acceptable for people to use offensive language against the council now that you're using it against the public?'