Ceredigion County Council has been slammed for failing to punish owners over dog fouling and allowing shingle from the beach to build up on the promenade.

Liberal Democrat Aberystwyth town councillor Mair Benjamin raised the issue at a council meeting last week.

She said despite efforts to promote Aberystwyth as an ‘elegant waterfront town’, its reputation is being ruined by badly maintained buildings, unfinished public works and potholes.

But she said the appearance of the promenade – supposed to be town’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – is particularly concerning and is being tarnished by dog poo and shingle from the beach – which the county council says will be cleared this week.

The Cambrian News has run a series of stories — Dirty Old Town — highlighting residents’ and visitors’ observations about Aberystwyth looking increasingly dirty and run down.

Cllr Benjamin raised the age-old fouling concerns at the meeting last week and called on the county council to begin properly enforcing by-laws against dog fouling – and punishing owners.

Town councillors agreed to send a letter to the county council appealing for traffic wardens, or any other employees, to use powers to administer fines to anyone who is caught leaving dog poo.

The Dog (Fouling) of Land Act 1996 makes it an offence if the owner or person in charge of a dog does not clean up after it defecates.

They may then receive a fixed penalty notice of £75, or a maximum fine of £1,000 if prosecuted in the magistrate’s court.

Cllr Benjamin says taking no action against it might also see the beaches lose their blue flag status as owners are repeatedly failing to pick up poos from the shoreline.

She told the Cambrian News: “Dog fouling remains a problem on the pavement and the beach, and this must be dealt with if we are to achieve and retain Blue Flag status for our beaches.

“Our promenade, from Marine Terrace to the harbour, is scruffy and uninviting. Piles of gravel left for weeks with only a narrow walkway cleared, look a real mess.

“It resembles a bleak moonscape rather than the beautiful location it can be and has been in the past.

“The benches in the covers of the castle wall, under our iconic castle have been removed, and the road surface from Castle Point to the lifeboat station is full of potholes.

“The centenary of the war memorial takes place later this year, a timely reminder to both the town council and the county council to get our acts together and work to recreate and restore one of our greatest assets for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.

“Simply waiting for the Old College project to be realised in due course is not acceptable.

“Residents want action now.”

She says the town council is set to erect large rubber signs on the slipways which ask visitors and residents to pick up dog poo, not to feed the sea gulls and inform them the times of year dogs are allowed on the beach.

Currently, no dogs are allowed on the northern part of the beach between 1 May and 30 September. Dogs are allowed all year on the section of the beach between the slipway and the harbour.

A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said: “In terms of statutory responsibilities, the only duty that Ceredigion County Council must discharge in respect of dogs relates to the capture of stray dogs.

“Whilst there are byelaws and orders in place across the County in respect of dog fouling, the enforcement of these provisions is discretionary and can only be undertaken when officer capacity allows.

“Aberystwyth promenade is programmed to be cleared after the high tides this week.

“There are plenty of benches along the whole of the promenade in Aberystwyth for people to sit and enjoy the view. These benches are regularly maintained and painted.”