A POPULAR seafront walkway is being blighted by irresponsible dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets, it has been claimed.

The promenade between Seaton Carew and Hartlepool is littered with dog dirt, despite a number of dog bins and poop-scoop facilities along the route.

Enid Thomlinson said she and her husband, Keith, took a walk along the path on New Year's Day, but said they were appalled by what they found.

"It's a lovely walk and I would really recommend it, but the walkway is ruined by all this dog dirt," she said.

"We wanted to look out to sea and admire the view, but we couldn't because we thought we would stand in it. We really had to concentrate.

"People should be more responsible. They should keep their dogs on leads and clear up after them. I think there should be signs up between the dog bins warning people, as a deterrent."

Mrs Thomlinson, who is originally from the Spennymoor area, but moved to Bedford 30 years ago, had returned for the new year to stay with family.

A spokesman for Hartlepool Borough Council said it had been very pro-active against dog fouling and a number of people had been fined in the past year for failing to clean up after their dogs.

He said: "The council has an ongoing commitment to keep the town as tidy and clean as possible and we have worked hard to change dog owners' attitudes.

"Initiatives, such as the installation of several dog stops - structures incorporating a dog dirt bin and a poop- scoop dispenser - at both Seaton Carew and the Headland reflect this.

"However, the public's support is vital if we are to maintain the progress we have already made and where we find any dog owners failing to clean up after their pets, we will issue fixed penalty notice fines."