Sunderland dog walker's £545 court bill after failing to clear up after pet
A dog walker is hundreds of pounds out of pocket after failing to clean up after his pet.
Jordan Lee Heron, who is 31 and from Hyde Street, in Hendon, Sunderland, was prosecuted by Sunderland City Council after community safety officers witnessed him failing to remove dog faeces near allotments off Corporation Road on 9 February 2026.
When challenged about the offence, Heron confirmed that he did not have anything with him to clean up after the dog and refused to provide his personal details.
Further inquiries were carried out by the community safety team, working with Northumbria Police, which allowed Heron to be identified and enforcement action to be taken.
Heron was issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice for the dog fouling offence.
When the penalty remained unpaid, the matter was referred to the council’s legal services department for prosecution.
The case was heard before District Judge Zoe Passfield at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court and Heron was convicted in his absence after failing to attend.
He was fined £222 and ordered to pay £150 legal costs, £85 council costs and an £88 victim surcharge.
The £545 total is payable within 28 days.
The offence was committed in breach of Sunderland City Council's public spaces protection order, which requires people in charge of a dog to remove its faeces from land covered by the order.
The council’s cabinet member for environment, transport and enforcement, Councillor Bill Blackett, said: “The vast majority of dog owners across Sunderland act responsibly and clean up after their pets.
“Unfortunately, it only takes a small minority who don't clean up after their pets to have a real impact on the cleanliness and enjoyment of our neighbourhoods and public spaces.
“Dog fouling is unpleasant, completely avoidable and something our residents quite rightly expect us to take action against.
“If you're taking a dog out, you have a responsibility to be prepared to clean up after it.
“Our community safety officers carry out patrols across the city and will take enforcement action where offences are witnessed.
“This case also demonstrates that refusing to provide details or ignoring a fixed penalty notice does not mean the matter will simply go away.
“We will make further inquiries where necessary and, where there is sufficient evidence, cases can be taken before the courts.