Landowners across North West Leicestershire are joining calls for dog owners to pick up after their dogs - to reduce the spread of harmful parasites.

Teaming up with North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC), farmers and other landowners are raising awareness of the parasite Neospora, which causes abortions in livestock.

The calls come from farmers keen to encourage responsible dog owners to use the rights of way across their land, while ensuring they do not lose unborn livestock as a result of dog fouling on their land.

Cattle and sheep can abort their young after coming into contact with Neospora – found in dog faeces – leaving farmers' livelihoods in danger.

NWLDC is working with farmers to educate dog walkers about the importance of bagging and binning dog muck at all times, even in the most rural countryside.

New posters are being displayed in popular dog walking areas in an effort to raise awareness and reduce incidents.

It is hoped this will help change the behaviour of dog owners and support farmers in protecting their livestock.

Neospora can remain in grass, water and contaminated feed for months after a dog fouls, presenting a serious threat to livestock. One symptom is for the animals to abort their young.

Bag it and Bin it

Alongside posing health risks to livestock, leaving dog mess is also a breach of Public Space Protection Orders across the district.

The offences punishable by a £100 on-the-spot fine are:

• Failing to pick up dog poo on any land unless it is privately owned (with landowner permission) and without public access
• A dog walker not being able to prove that they have the means to pick up dog poo

Failure to pay the fine could lead to court proceedings and a fine of £2,500.

To report instances of dog fouling, please visit HERE.

Farmer John Newbold grazes around 75 cows on the 340 acres of Mickleover Farm in Belton.

He has added a number of Bag it, Bin it posters to the public rights of way across his land to encourage responsible dog walkers to pick up after their pet.

"I'm happy to put the signs up, I've had dogs almost all of my life and we have a lot of walkers using some of the paths," he said.

Simon Tivey, a landowner from Osgathorpe, said: "I'm really happy to receive the signs and hope they will help to combat the problem of dog walkers not picking up whilst walking the footpaths across my land."

Senior Enforcement Officer Ian Webster and Cllr Andrew Woodman present farmer John Newman with a Bag it, Bin it sign.

Councillor Andrew Woodman, NWLDC Portfolio Holder for Community Services, added: "The district is full of fantastic areas for dog walking, and we want to continue to ensure it remains enjoyable for everyone.

"Poo bags are essential supplies for any dog owner, so please remember to take them with you and use them; even if you're in a field or woodland area it's important to remove all traces of you being there as dog faeces poses health risks to livestock.

"We've recently added a four-legged friend to our family so I'm enjoying exploring dog-walking hotspots and ensuring that if the dog does mess that I bag it and bin it."