One frustrated Hartlepool resident has employed cheeky humour to combat his dog fouling woes.

Last year, 67-year-old Eddie Bone was at the end of his tether, angry at people frequently leaving their dog's waste outside his property.

Taking matters into his own hands, he bought a bold sign and CCTV to deter the perpetrators "ruining" the streets around Rossmere.

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It reads: "Want to start yoga, start by bending over and picking up you dog s***.

"Known as the downward dog position."

Eddie, who runs his own windows business, said: "Overall it's been a great success and I've definitely seen a reduction in mess outside my house.

But he reported that during the night time "more people think they can get away with it" and that he's had a few "run-ins" with culprits and their canines.

One of the CCTV warnings outside Eddie's Hartlepool home
One of the CCTV warnings outside Eddie's Hartlepool home

He explained: "One time I caught someone on CCTV leaving his dog's mess, and he refused to pick it up.

"I told him that I'd follow him and put it through his letter box, and that got him to comply pretty quickly."

"Most people do the right thing, but there's a small minority who spoil things."

He said his neighbours have similar complaints, with one taking to Facebook to complain of "dog poo always outside my house".

Eddie said that while he has been in touch with the council about the issue, he "understands that it's hard for them to control".

He added: "We could always benefit from some more bins or more signs so that people are aware of the fine leaving dog litter carries."

It is an offence not to pick up dog faeces immediately.

According to Hartlepool council, failure to do so could result in a fixed penalty notice of £100 or a summary conviction in a court of law of £1000.

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