PLANS to crack down on dog owners letting their pets foul in Burnham and Highbridge have been welcomed by representatives from the two towns.

The proposal, put forward by Sedgemoor District Council, is that all land in the open air which the public has access to should be covered by the requirement to remove dog mess.

Town councillor Peter Clayton said he approved of the plans and praised the authority for making the first step.

"I think this is an excellent idea and it's nice to see Sedgemoor District Council getting to grips with this mess," he said.

"It does seem to be particularly bad at the moment. I know a lot of dog owners are clearing up after themselves, but there seems to be a few spoiling it for the rest."

Burnham and Highbridge Mayor Eric Gill said he was in favour of the new controls.

"I live in an area and the dog warden lives just a couple of yards away and the situation seems to have got worse," he said.