COUNCILLORS in St Dogmaels who are backing moves to combat dog fouling reckon a community dog watch scheme has not taken off because residents are reluctant to “rat” on their neighbours.

Members who had received lots of social media posts about the issue say the scheme offers the chance to do something about it in “a polite and friendly way”.

But community clerk Sue Houghton admitted this week that the appeal for dog watch volunteers had not attracted many responses.

“We are looking for people who regularly walk the village with or without a dog to help us take this forward,” she said on Facebook.

“Other Pembrokeshire villages such as Saundersfoot have had great results with their dog watch and I am sure it would be successful here.”

However the scheme has already come in for criticism that it was effectively asking “for neighbour to spy on neighbour”.

One social media poster commented: “This is very right wing and similar to the Stasi in Cold War Germany. It could only happen under a Tory government.

“A far better plan would be to put up posters. Go into the school and do a little session on the dangers of cat and dog mess.

“There are ways, but asking neighbour to spy on neighbour is distasteful and I’m not surprised you haven’t recruited any Gestapo!”

However, Ms Houghton told the Cambrian News that the scheme was not intended to be confrontational.

See this week’s Cardigan & Newcastle Emlyn edition for the full story, in shops and online now