The amount of dog mess on Newtown's pavements has been causing a stink and people have had enough.

Irresponsible dog owners have been slammed for not picking up their pets' waste which Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council heard has become a "major" problem.

Areas such as Garth Owen and Llanfair Road were highlighted as "horrendous" hotspots for dog fouling by residents.

County councillor Pete Lewington described the amount of mess in Llanfair Road as a "health hazard".

He said: "It's affecting children in particular those who use the path walking to and from school.

"I'm sure this isn’t an isolated incident across the town unfortunately. Dog owners must take responsibility to clean up after their pets."

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Councillor Chris Jones agreed adding that “it is horrendous up there”.

“There’s a hell of a lot of dog fouling. People can bag it up and take it home. It’s not the council’s responsibility to look after their dog’s stuff," he said.

Town Councillor Darryl Gwilt said dog fouling has become a "major problem" in Newtown.

"We have had some serious fouling in the Garth Owen area. It is a bigger safety issue than Llanfair Road because the school children are everywhere. I have walked that area and it is horrendous."

Councillor Rupert Taylor added that dog fouling “seems like it’s everywhere at the moment” while Councillor Jackie Molloy-Davies raised concerns that there are not enough waste bins in town nor in Llanllwchaiarn for people to dispose bags of dog mess.

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Powys County Council cabinet member and county councillor David Selby added that he has tried getting environmental health and the waste team out to help with the issue.

It is an offence to let a dog in your control foul on pavements, verges, publicly owned land, playing fields, parks, playgrounds, car parks public footpaths where 'no fouling' signs are displayed, if the owner does not clean up immediately afterwards.

If a dog has fouled in these areas, Powys County Council may issue a fixed penalty notice or begin a prosecution.

Powys County Council, which encourages people to report dog fouling on its website, said: "Always carry a plastic bag to pick up the mess as soon as your dog has fouled and put it in the nearest dog waste or litter bin. If there are no bins nearby, please take the waste home and dispose of it safely there."