TOWN councillors in Marlborough could be forced to buy a CCTV system to catch dog owners who do not clear up after their pets.

On Monday, members of the town council recreation and amenities committee despaired over the number of owners who continue to let their dogs foul public places.

Areas of particular concern mentioned by councillors included Stonebridge Lane, Cooper's Meadow, the Salisbury Road recreation ground and The Common.

Committee chairman Coun Hilary Cripps said that from her home she watched the same woman exercise her two dogs on The Common every day but never clean up after them.

She said: "Dog fouling has become a very serious problem in this town and we have to deal with it."

Coun Peter Cossey said the council talked about putting in more poop-scoop bag dispensers around the town but had not got round to doing it.

Town clerk Graham Gittins said bag dispensers had been provided in Cooper's Meadow and the recreation ground and although there were no separate disposal bins it was acceptable for poop-scoop bags to be put in the ordinary litter bins.

He said the town council would have to seek permission from Wiltshire County Council to put bag dispensers in Stonebridge Lane because it is a highway.

To provide specialised bins and a collection service for poop-scoop bags was an expensive business but Mr Gittins added: "Other councils do it."

Coun Maurice Cooper said: "We have been discussing this problem for the last ten or 12 months but nothing has been done."

The town clerk said: "It's a question of educating people because Kennet has never prosecuted anybody."

Coun David Parker said: "We have to educate the public. To be fair the instances of fouling in the High Street have reduced since the introduction of the dog warden."

Mayor-elect Graham Francis said the difficulty with securing a prosecution was getting the evidence against particular dog owners.

Mr Gittins suggested that one way of gathering evidence would be to buy a cheap CCTV camera and recording system that could be set up in problem areas like the recreation ground.

Councillors agreed to seek the co-operation of dog owners in clearing up after their pets.

However if the problem persists, councillors agreed, the council might be forced to take up the town clerk's suggestion and film the offenders for evidence for prosecutions.