"Very little else angers residents more than dog fouling”.

These were the words of Allerdale Council deputy leader Mike Johnson, reported by the News & Star on Tuesday, as he and the other members of the Allerdale executive voted to continue their "zero tolerance" approach to dog fouling in the borough by extending the public spaces protection order.

This order grants the council's enforcement officers the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those found to be failing to pick up after their dog.

The words of Mr Johnson appeared to ring true with a number of readers, who shared their disgust over the fact dog fouling continues to require enforcement action.

Reader Paula McQuillin-Blair was extremely strong in her condemnation of those who do not clean up after their dogs.

"It’s disgusting", she wrote. "As a responsible dog owner myself, people who don’t clean up after their dogs repulse me."

Joan Glencross agreed, and said she felt it was a particularly concerning problem at this point in the year.

"Now when the leaves are falling you can't tell what you're putting your foot on," she wrote.

Deborah Blair commented that she didn't believe there was much that could be done to encourage people who are happy to leave dog mess behind to change their minds.

"You can put signs up, paint them on pavements, put bins out - but that won't make the lazy, 'don't care a hoot' people pick it up," she wrote.

"Especially the 'last walk of the night' ones who take [their dogs] out late in the evening and think it is OK to leave it because no one can see them."

She added that this behaviour has a knock-on effect on others using the pavement.

"The kids on the way to school have to dodge it. Mothers with prams have to try dodge it. People on mobility scooters have to try and dodge it. It's disgusting."