'Dog poop bins' overflowing

THE ‘overflowing’ state of ‘dog poop bins’ in the area of Galgorm Road and the general County Hall vicinity has been slammed by a local man.

He sent the Guardian a series of pictures showing such bins absolutely ram packed.

He said: “The first picture shows Old Galgorm Road where the bin seems to be a council problem. The issue also affects County Hall and every bin there is full to overflowing. The birds enjoy scattering the contents and are having “a hay day” This seems to be the responsibility of Roads Service.”

A Council spokesperson said: “ It is positive and to be welcomed that dog waste bins are being well used by pet owners in the Borough.

“However, while bins are regularly emptied, there are occasions when they can become full and in such circumstances we would ask members of the public to either dispose of their animals’ waste in the next available bin or take it home for disposal.

“The vast majority of dog owners throughout our Borough are responsible and dispose of their pets’ foul appropriately, either by using public bins or those at their homes. Members of the public who fail to properly dispose of dog foul risk being issued with a fixed penalty notice of £120, with the potential of significantly higher fines on conviction.

“To find out more or to report problem dog fouling, please visit Council’s website or contact the Ballymena Environmental Health Office on T: 0300 124 5000.”