A Promising Development

If you follow Luton Poo on Twitter, you'll be aware that Luton Borough Council suggested a meeting to discuss the dog mess problem and ways to tackle it. Today they sent an email about it, and things look set to happen in the next couple of weeks. 

In some ways, this means that the Luton Poo website and associated social media soapboxes have achieved success. Obviously, this site isn't about the display of excrement for its own sake - rather, it's about raising awareness and prompting the authorities to take action. The council shares Luton Poo's desire for transparency, so watch this space for updates.

One "L" of a lot of poo

"L" ...the Roman numeral for 50. That's how many poos we've photographed and reported to Luton Borough Council in the eight days from 5 March to 13 March.

It seems a nice round number at which to pause and take stock. I have better things to do than traipse about looking for poo. Ordinarily, just avoiding it takes more effort than I care to expend, to be honest. I'll continue to monitor the poos already reported, and make posts here if and when they are cleared. But apart from that, I'm retiring from the poo patrol business... for now. If things haven't significantly improved by the start of next month, I'll resume activities - for two weeks instead of one. And petition councillors, and local media. I hope it doesn't come to that.

So, let's leave it there for now. Fifty poos. Fifty reports to Luton Borough Council. And 44 of those poos remain, rotting on the footpaths of High Town. Even giving Luton Borough Council the benefit of the doubt, not all of the 6 vanished poos were removed by its cleaners.

Fifty poo reports you're sitting on, Luton Borough Council. The ball is in your court.

Will you do the right thing?

Poo #00048 Revisited

Poo gone! But hardly a resounding success story for Luton Borough Council. A poo in the road was always going to be smeared all over the place by car tyres. 

See original Poo #00048 post here.

Poo #00047 Revisited

See original Poo #00048 post here.

Poo #00046 Revisited

See original Poo #00046 post here.

Poo #00045 Revisited

See original Poo #00045 post here.

Poo #00044 Revisited

See original Poo #00044 post here.

Poo #00040 Revisited

See original Poo #00040 post here.

Poo #00036 Revisited

Good news and bad news here. The good - no, GREAT - news is that this poo has definitely been cleared up. Not just eaten by a passing dog, or stepped-in till it disintegrated, but actually deliberately cleared up.

If you compare this photo with the original, it's fairly easy to make out the spot where the poo used to be. Not only that, but on the spot it occupied there is a shallow rectangular depression. This is surely a sign that the poo, together with a patch of soil, was removed with a spade. Since this isn't anyone's garden, nor even a spot likely to be walked upon, I can only conclude that a Luton Borough Council cleaner is responsible.

This is great, because it indicates the cleaner was on-the-ball enough to spot the poo, and conscientious enough to do something about it.

What's not so great is that two other poos (Poo #00021 and Poo #00028) remain undisturbed within a few yards, suggesting this was a random bit of luck rather than a concerted effort to respond to Luton Poo's deluge of reports.   

See original Poo #00036 post here.

Poo #00035 Revisited

Clearly, this area has been thoroughly swept - presumably by a cleaner from Luton Borough Council. In response to a dog mess report, or just because a cleaner happened along? Sadly, the continued presence of Poo #00020 and Poo #00026 mere yards away suggest the latter. But a result is a result, and this bit of pavement is clear of poo. Yay!

Poo #00035 - Cobden Street

See original Poo #00035 post here.

Poo #00028 Revisited

Four days after Luton Borough Council were told of this poo, it remains - despite being apparently gone. Close inspection revealed that it had been kicked a, couple of inches, into the hedge. Perhaps the work of a passer-by who didn't mind getting messy shoes; perhaps the "work" of a council cleaner.

Poo #00028 - Havelock Road

See original Poo #00028 post here.

Poo #00027 Revisited

Smack in the middle of the path which takes eager kids from the play area to the ice cream van, this poo has been steadily flattened by many feet in the seven whole days Luton Borough Council has knowingly permitted it to remain. Big fail.

Poo #00027 - Havelock Road

See original Poo #00027 post here.

Poo #00026 Revisited

Reported a full week before this second picture was taken. Seven days drifted lazily by; did any Luton Borough Council cleaners do the same as this poo sat on the footpath mere yards from a school entrance?

See original Poo #00026 post here.

Poo #00025 Revisited

One of the few success stories of the week - poo completely gone! And obviously as the result of a deliberate sweeping of the area. Boffo!

Poo #00025 - Cobden Street

See original Poo #00025 post here.

Poo #00024 Revisited

Seven full days after this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council, its desiccated remains still litter the grass verge at the entrance to People's Park - a popular after-school haunt for school children. Let's hope they haven't heard the chalk myth.

Poo #00024 - Havelock Road

Poo #00023 Revisited

The most obvious poo in this picture has appeared since Poo #00023 was reported to Luton Borough Council. It seems obvious that one dog owner could be a repeat offender here. A look at the Luton Poo map reveals three or four hot spots. It wouldn't take too much detective work to catch the culprits. Trouble is, Luton Borough Council seems to have other priorities. Of course, they have limited resources... but it seems a bit sneaky (not to say wasteful) to pay for an online reporting facility which achieves nothing at all.

See original Poo #00023 post here.

Poo #00022 Revisited

Poo #00022 should really be listed as two separate ones. Both still sit where Luton Borough Council have known for a week that they pose a hazard.

See original Poo #00022 post here.

Poo #00021 Revisited

A week after Luton Borough Council was made aware of this poo, it remains on the "doorstep" of a house in Havelock Road, just opposite the school.

Poo #00021 - Havelock Road

See original Poo #00021 post here.

Poo #00020 Revisited

More than a week after Luton Borough Council were made aware of this poo, it still sits less than a foot from the High Town Road gate to St Matthew's Primary School. An email I received from the school expressed confidence that the problem does not encroach onto school grounds. I'd bet real money that some of this well-trodden-in poo ended up in classrooms. 

Poo #00020 - High Town Road

Poo #00019 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00019 - Havelock Road

Technically on school premises (though on the street in messy-shoe terms), this poo has, with the full knowledge of Luton Borough Council, remained within reach of Foundation-Year tots as they play. See original Poo #00019 post here.

Poo #00014 to #00018 Revisited

See original Poo #00014 to Poo #00018 post here.

Poo #00013 Revisited

See original Poo #00013 post here.

Poo #00012 Revisited

See original Poo #00012 post here.

Poo #00011 Revisited

A dog warden actually telephoned me to verify the location of this poo. Big question: WHY?

See original Poo #00011 post here.

Poo #00010 Revisited

This poo has more poo to keep it company now. The stretch of Old Bedford Road from the "Day 1" corner shop to the railway bridge is a hot spot for poo. Since neither I nor no one I've asked has ever seen a stray dog here, it stands to reason that one or more dog owners is routinely using this area as a dog toilet. Time for Luton Borough Council's dog wardens to get proactive?

See original Poo #00010 post here.

Poo #00009 Revisited

Many more poos have appeared on this stretch of Old Bedford Road in the last few days. Luton Borough Council is presumably unaware of them. But it IS aware of this one, and has been for over a week. Someone, somewhere, decided that this is acceptable. Possibly the same someone who authorises the routine cleaning of non-problem culs-de-sac on juicy Sunday overtime rates. And here's the thing: If the council HAD bothered to deal with this poo, the fresh ones nearby could have been noted and dealt with at the same time. But hey, someone, somewhere, knows best(!)

See original Poo #0009 post here.

Poo #00008 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00008 - Reginald Street

See original Poo #00008 post here.

Poo #00007 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00007 - Reginald Street

Right in someone's gateway, and on a path often tricky to navigate after the bin men have scattered wheelie bins, this poo has been stepped in and spread around a great deal. See original Poo #00007 post here.

Poo #00006 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00006 - Butterworth Path

Tucked away at the edge of the footpath, this poo has, fortunately, not been trodden in. See original Poo #00006 post here.

Poo #00005 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00005 - Butterworth Path

No sign of Poo #00005 at all. However this happened, it doesn't seem to have been trodden in and spread about. Good result! See original Poo #00005 post here.

Poo #00004 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00004 - William Street

Stepped in and kicked several times. See original Poo #00004 post here.

Poo #00003 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00003 - William Street

Clearly been stepped in more than once. See original Poo #00003 post here.

Poo #00002 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00002 - William Street

It's hardly worth posting this new photo because the area has been disturbed, making it almost unrecognisable. Perhaps it's been swept by LBC street cleaners. If so, the incident was (a) coincidental and (b) inept, since the poo itself is still there. It's just been been shoved a few inches. But we're not conducting a witch hunt here, so let's be charitable and classify Poo #00002 as cleaned up. See original Poo #00002 post here.

Poo #00001 Revisited

It's now seven days since this poo was reported to Luton Borough Council via their website.

Poo #00001 - Reginald Street

This has been stepped in at least once. See original Poo #00001 post here.

Poo #00050 - Wed 12 March, William Street

Poo #00050 - William Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022905

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00049 - Wed 12 March, William Street

Poo #00049 - William Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022904

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00048 - Wed 12 March, North Street

Poo #00048 - North Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022903

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00047 - Wed 12 March, Dudley Street

Poo #00047 - Dudley Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022902

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00046 - Wed 12 March, Dudley Street

Poo #00046 - Dudley Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022901

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00045 - Wed 12 March, Dudley Street

Poo #00045 - Dudley Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022900

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00044 - Wed 12 March, Wenlock Street

Poo #00044 - Wenlock Street
Reported: 13/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022899

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

The big question...

Well, it's now a week since poos #00001, #00002, #00003, #00004, #00005, #00006, #00007, and #00008 were reported to Luton Borough Council's dog wardens. The Senior Dog Warden promised to pass the information to the Street Services Department. The big question is: Do the existence of the reporting facility, the effort of making reports, and the promises of the council lead to anything actually being done?

This afternoon, the locations of those poos will be revisited and photographed.

The pictures will be posted on this website, on our Facebook page, and on our Twitter feed.

Let's hope it's eight photos of clean pavements.

Poo #00043 - Tue 11 March, Midland Road

Poo #00043 - Midland Road
Reported: 12/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022837

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)

Poo #00042 - Tue 11 March, Midland Road

Poo #00042 - Midland Road
Reported: 12/3/14
Luton Borough Council Reference: C22_10022836

Google Map (Opens in new window.)

Google Street View (Opens in new window.)