Security CCTV is to be used to catch dog owners who allow their pets to foul on the streets.

Camera operators have been told to be on the lookout for anyone walking dogs on the roadside and to check whether or not they clean up after their pet, according to the Daily Mail.

If people are judged to have allowed their four-legged friend to mess on the pavement and failed to clean it up, they will be tracked down and issued with an on-the-spot fine.

While the introduction of the scheme by Surrey Police has been met with some puzzlement by residents, other police forces are contemplating following suit.

Sergeant Karen Coyne of Surrey Police said that the scheme had been implemented on the back of public pressure.

She told the news provider: "The primary objective of CCTV in Merstham remains detecting crimes such as theft, burglary and antisocial behaviour.

"However residents had repeatedly complained about dog fouling. We wouldn't do this if local people had not asked us to."