AN ARMY of dog walkers armed with luminous pink paint to spray dog mess could be deployed by Braintree District Council.
The proposal comes after the authority featured on an episode of BBC current affairs programme Panorama, which praised the cleanliness of the district and its work tackling litter.
Council members say they intend to take the fight against litter louts to the next level.
Leader of Braintree District Council Graham Butland said: "I'm really proud of the great team work by the public, staff and members.
"I just find it so annoying that we have to spend so much taxpayers' money to clear up rubbish that could be spent on other things.
"We aren't doing this to raise money, we're doing this because we're fed up with all the litter.
"We can learn lessons from other councils on other issues, but on this I think we've got this right.
"I would quite like to implement what they do in Manchester and some other places, where a group of volunteer dog owners spray any dog mess they find with biodegradable luminous spray.
"It makes it more visible and the idea is to shame irresponsible dog owners into clearing up after their dogs.
"If you travel along some routes on the A120 you know when you come into Braintree because the verges are clearer.
"It's about applying pressure and keeping the message going, everyone has to do their bit.
"I've reported someone I saw throwing a cigarette butt out the window of a moving van, he was fined £75, but because he was in a works vehicle he was then charged with another offence of smoking in a workplace."
A year ago a controversial Pick It Up campaign was launched in which a poster depicting a child apparently eating dog mess was used to encourage walkers to clean up after their pets.
In June 2010 Councillor Wendy Schmitt even posed in a plastic box filled with rubbish and rats as a publicity stunt to launch a crackdown on miscreants.
She said: "I think it's absolutely wonderful for the staff who go out there and pick up after those who leave litter on the streets.
"To get national recognition was a real pat on the back for our staff and volunteers.
"The majority of people feel empowered because they know that if they report something to us we will take action.
"It's really utterly shameful, a lot of people take the opinion that it's someone else's fault.
"In Braintree we want to provide people with better education so this attitude changes.
"The best example is that of someone who had to pay £717.56 to the courts instead of the initial £75 for throwing a cigarette butt on the floor – that was an expensive cigarette.
"Levels of cleanliness have improved greatly and as a council we have overall a 93 per cent satisfaction rate from the public."
At the Keep Britain Tidy awards last month the district council won two awards, one for environmental champion Karen Brown and one for Wendy Schmitt who was named elected member of the year.
The authority was runner-up for the Stamp Out Poo campaign in Flitch Way.
The council attributes the success of its strategy to working with local businesses.
Cherry Lewis-Taylor, franchise owner of McDonald's in Braintree, Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers, supports the strategy.
At the drive-in restaurant in Braintree staff write car registration numbers on food wrappers, initially to identify them when they park.
However, police and environmental enforcement officers can then trace customers who drop the wrappers.
Since the campaign was launched, fast food litter has dropped 55 per cent, cigarette litter 48 per cent and the issuing of fixed penalty notices has increased by 250 per cent.
Since the launch of the Pain In The Butt campaign in August more than 100 fixed penalty notices were issued to people dropping cigarette ends.
