WALKING the dog is meant to be a relaxing and enjoyable leisure pursuit encouraging healthy living and a chance to bond with man's best friend.But the selfishness of one mystery owner could now mean dog walkers have Big Brother breathing down their necks during their daily trips out.

WALKING the dog is meant to be a relaxing and enjoyable leisure pursuit encouraging healthy living and a chance to bond with man's best friend.

But the selfishness of one mystery owner could now mean dog walkers have Big Brother breathing down their necks during their daily trips out.

CCTV cameras and the teams who monitor them have been enlisted by a determined animal warden looking to track down an "irresponsible" dog walker whose pet has turned the streets of Haverhill into a foul mess.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council's warden Sharon Poole said she believed they were close to identifying the dog walker who has allowed his pooch to constantly foul various areas in the town's High Street.

And she now hopes the cameras, installed after dog fouling escalated in the town last year, will prove the final key to catching the culprit.

Ms Poole said: "It is a shame the actions of the odd one or two people have led to us using the CCTV cameras.

"The majority of people, in my experience, are very good at cleaning up after their dogs, especially in areas where there are a lot of people such as high streets.

"The CCTV cameras have proved to be invaluable over the last year. We have already caught several people on tape who are not clearing up their dog's mess but further examination of these tapes should tell us more.

"We will now be keeping a special eye for dog walkers along the High Street in Haverhill."

The problems in the town escalated last year near Henderson's newsagents in the High Street.

At one stage, shoppers and workers found themselves having to tread carefully to avoid the persistent dog mess before the council's street cleaners arrived.

Ms Poole said it was an offence not to clear up after dogs and owners could be liable for a fixed penalty of £50 or a fine in the magistrate's court of up to £1,000.

She added: "The animal wardens are constantly promoting responsible dog ownership including carrying an empty bag with you at all times so the mess can be cleared up and disposing of it hygienically in a dog waste bin or at home in your dustbin.

"However, this message is clearly not getting through to a minority of irresponsible dog walkers who do not think of the consequences of their actions."

Anyone who has information about the mysterious dog walker should contact Mrs Poole in confidence on 01284 757621.