Westbury and Warminster town councils are looking at setting up a joint dog warden service to crack down on owners who fail to clean up after their pets.

Cllr Paul Macdonald, of Warminster, and Cllr Russell Hawker, of Westbury, have said the councils should pool resources and look at a range of other measures to combat the problem.

Cllr Macdonald said: “Dog owners generally clean up after their dog. It is the irresponsible few that we are out to catch.”

“There are many associated health concerns and I’ve had a number of calls from people in my ward.

"One mother was very upset because her toddler had walked in it on open ground near Bradley Road.”

He also said that some residents were spraying the faeces in bright colours to highlight the menace.

Wiltshire Council only has three dog wardens, which Cllr Hawker believes is inadequate.

He said: “Most of their time is taken up dealing with stray, lost, dangerous and noisy dogs and the issue of dog mess is barely dealt with at all.”

Last year Wiltshire Council only issued two fixed penalty notices for dog fouling.

Cllr Hawker said: “We have a problem all over Westbury but most of the complaints come from the public area near the White Horse.”

“There are a number of health concerns associated with dog faeces including toxocariasis.

“This is caused by a roundworm parasite. It spreads from animals to humans in infected faeces and can lead to blindness or even death."

The proposal to explore the issue with Westbury was approved by Warminster Town Council on Monday and will be considered by Westbury Town Council on July 7.