Undercover patrols armed with walkie-talkies are being drafted in to combat the dog mess menace.

Braintree Council wants to clean up its streets and make the district a dog dirt-free zone.

Last year its officers had to deal with more than 40 tonnes of mess - enough to cover a football pitch the size of Wembley.

Now council litter-busters are planning a massive clean-up operation. They are targeting owners who continue to flout new dog-fouling laws.

Problem "hot-spots" are already being pinpointed. The council wants 80 per cent of streets to be mess-free in less than four years.

People who refuse to tidy up after their dogs face a £25 on-the-spot fine. And they could end up £1,000 out of pocket if they are found guilty in court of persistent offending.

The council's environmental protection boss Lee Crabb and his team dealt with more than 250 complaints from the public last year. He warned: "If you don't clear up after your dog you are breaking the law.

"We want people to stand up and be counted. They need to be prepared to act as witnesses. Then we won't hesitate to take dog owners to court and bring them to book."

Plain-clothes officers with two-way radios are targeting the top troublespots.

The names of the problem streets are being kept secret by the council. But investigators are treating them as high-priority.

The crackdown will also be backed by a campaign urging selfish owners to get the "scoop the poop" message.

Around 160 special dog waste bins and 700 warning signs were put up last year. But a recent report found dog mess was still in the top ten of residents' grumbles.

Mr Crabb said: "People still say it is a major issue so it must be a problem and we will be patrolling those high priority areas more than anywhere else."

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