A woman has been handed a record fine of £420 for letting her dog mess on the pavement and then failing to pick it up.
Leslie Giles, of Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly, was originally given a fine of £75 by Caerphilly County Borough Council for letting her dog foul on Pontygwindy Road.
After not paying the fine though the council took her to court.
The case was heard recently at Abertillery Magistrates Court, although the defendant did not attend.
The case was heard in her absence and she was fined £250 for the offence, ordered to pay costs of £85 and victim surcharge of £85.
Cllr Lyn Ackerman, the council’s cabinet member for the environment said: “I hope that prosecutions such as this reinforce the message to those who feel it is acceptable to allow their dogs to foul public areas without picking it up, that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
“£420 is a lot of money to pay for committing an offence that could so easily have been avoided.
“I hope this will act as a warning and a deterrent to others that you will not get away with spoiling our beautiful county borough by allowing dogs to foul our streets, parks and other public areas.”
The fine was the highest financial penalty that Caerphilly County Borough Council has secured to date for this type of offence.