Flagging up the problem of dog fouling at Keighley Tarn is council countryside officer David Parsons.

He placed specially made flags in faeces around the popular spot this week to highlight the mutt-mess issue.

In one morning alone he pinpointed 60 doggy deposits littering just part of the Black Hill site, Keighley.

Now Mr Parsons is appealing to dog owners visiting the tarn, which has undergone an £85,000 improvement programme in the past 18 months, to clean up their act.

And he warns that council park rangers will be visiting the site and issuing on-the-spot fines to offending dog owners. Mr Parsons said: "It is a controlled area and anyone who fails to clean up after their dog is liable to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

"We don't want to stop dog owners enjoying the tarn, all we ask is that they take away with them any mess created by their pets.

"Some people have cleared up mess but then thrown the bag into the water or into bushes!

"A lot of work has been done to improve the site for everybody to enjoy, but that enjoyment is being spoilt by the amount of dog dirt, which is also posing a health risk to the children who play there."

Improvement work at the tarn has included tree planting, repairs and restoration, new picnic tables and benches, and the provision of a landing stage for model boat users.