Police settle debate on dog owners not picking up their poo — £1,000 fine

The Mirror explains the law on dog fouling and quotes police advice on reporting owners who do not clean up. The headline puts a £1,000 fine up front, but the police quoted in the body say an owner may be given a fixed penalty ticket of at most £100. The £1,000 figure is only the most a court could impose if that ticket goes unpaid. Otherwise the piece reports the rules plainly.

1. Headline goes beyond the article

   Minor

   “£1,000 fine”

   Why this matters

   The headline sets "£1,000 fine" beside dog owners not picking up after their dogs, as if that were the penalty for the offence.

   The impression it gives

   A reader believes an owner caught not clearing up dog mess faces a £1,000 fine.

   The context

   The police quoted in the body say the person may be issued a fixed penalty ticket of at most £100. Only if that is not paid in time can court proceedings start, and the £1,000 figure is the maximum a court could then impose.

   How we know

   • Elsewhere in the article“The person may be issued with a fixed penalty ticket (maximum of £100).”
   • Elsewhere in the article“If this is not paid in time, court proceedings can be started”

   Show it in the article