first mate

I'm surprised by just how much material workman are allowed to put on the roadside and kerb- I've seen generators, skips, piles of sand, portaloos as well as cables that stretch across the path- this goes on for weeks- is it legal. I would have thought that the cables, at least, were a health and safety thing.

Hi, Can anyone help? I've just had a warning message saying that I've had an access violation- something to do with my computer inbuilt camera software- oh and my computer camera had turned itself on (been turned on? Eek) Could any obliging computer-wise people explain what this means, how worried I should be and what best to do? I've got Norton 360, I've scanned and run registry cleanup where it found and deleted an invalid file of some type- but no evidence of trojans, malware, spyware etc.. If anyone can help please be aware I am a computer/techno eejit, so keep it very simple. Many thanks

Does GG need improving? It's a small patch of land. Common sense suggests that it'll be used more in the summer than the winter and mostly by families, young people and dog walkers. People walking and cycling to go about their business will use it as a cut through. Provided people can be persuaded to stop littering (including but not limited to dog fouling, broken glass, human food waste) and provided those on cycle don't hurtle through, is the park not pretty much fit for function as it is? I've always thought of the children's play area as separate and see that this needs funding for maintenance, upgrading etc..

What about when FFGW says "cor" is that allowed? No "yummy" and no "cor" would leave little to quote. Last night FFJT sampled the pud cooked by a Scottish lady copper and obeserved "I don't like the way your sauce has separated into two colours".

Cassidy, Those parents should be well and truly ashamed of themselves. What a bad example to set for their children- my rubbish but let someone else pick it up because I'm too 'busy'(lazy), and outside a school too- well, well. Lack of bins, what absolute nonsense, you just carry the bag until you get to a bin- it's in a plastic bag it can't hurt you. I also believe, though I'm happy to be corrected, that most people would not object to you popping a bag into their bin (if out on the street)- better there than turds left for the cleaners to pick up or dog owners like me to slip in! In a similar vein, I do see a lot of kids just dropping stuff willy nilly on the streets. Do we need to be educating children (and some of their parents) a little more about littering- oh as well as the errant dog owners.

James, I really do think that over the very cold weather poo will have built up but been hidden by snow etc..- where not even cleaners would see it. Would also point out that one dog per street will produce 14 deposits of excreta a week. If that is not picked up by the irresponsible owner you do not have to be a genius to see how quickly just one bad owner can leave our streets heavily befouled. There are certain cultures that loathe dogs. I would imagine that if as a cleaner you were a member of that culture you would be extremely reluctant to pick up dog poo and, in my view, why should you. The real solution is to find a way of catching the owners that don't pick up and hit them hard with a penalty of some kind. Perhaps it requires some very close round the clock monitoring on streets where there is a lot of dog poo, until culprits are caught red-handed and examples made. Those council cars with CCTV atop might be just the thing. To your knowledge has anyone ever been issued with a fine for dog fouling that is not picked up?

Thanks Louisiana for that very helpful summary. You've pointed out some worrying aspects of this scheme. I'm definitely out.

James, My guess would be that more of the wrong type are owning dogs ( a cursory glance at animal rescue centres servicing/ near Southwark shows a huge rise in certain types of dog, plus litters of puppies). Such people are more likely to allow their dogs to poo on the path in very cold weather/rain because they are too lazy to go to the park (where the poo is more likely to be hidden in undergrowth and therefore not seen, though I don't condone that). Also, during the snow I am guessing successive deposits will have been covered by snow etc..only reappearing after the thaw. In the last year I have noticed a great rise in the prevalence of certain types of dog- they are often walked offlead around the streets- I think there is a clue here as to why we have seen a sudden increase in dog poo. It really only takes a few antisocial types, James, to have a big impact on a neighbourhood, as I'm sure you know.

What about large and instant on the spot fines for anyone caught littering (dog poo not picked up is another form of littering)- all these community wardens could be tasked with more hands on monitoring until the message gets through. Bylaws need to be changed to make it an offence to have a dog offlead on the pavement beside a public highway. Finally, compulsory chipping and dog licenses should be instated. Handheld scanners can easily be carried by community wardens. Regular scanning of dogs when people are out and about and instant fines/confiscation for unchipped dogs, might help people get more serious and responsible about dog ownership and think twice about acquisition of a dog on a whim as the latest fashion accessory.

James, What about extending this to cover some of the other major litter issues? I find broken glass to be very hazardous and have cut my foot before, resulting in a severe infection that needed treatment. I also get extremely annoyed by chewing gum on my shoes and finally disgusting human food detritus that attracts foxes and rats and that is casually dropped on the pavement. What is your point about cold weather? I think you know that the real issue here is irresponsible, antisocial humans- deal with them.

cate, it's the " am I bovvered" type. They're the same people that litter indiscriminately: chewing gum, discarded chicken and lamb bones and broken bottles/ glasses after a night's boozing. The type that careers around in their car one hand on the wheel the other on their mobile; the ones that feel they have special exemption from speed limits and so drive up your backside. People that just don't care how what they do impacts on everyone else. It's not unique to dog owners its the type of everyday, lazy and self centered behaviour that crops up everywhere.

Today I saw a young male (swaggering tough guy with hoodie and dog type to match) walking his dog offlead and turning away as it deposited. I was in my car and unable to stop but he saw me stare at him very hard and point to his dog. He looked very slightly embarassed but ignored me. There is also a serial offender that lives near me. Again, teenage boy that exercises his dog offlead on the pavement whilst riding a bike. I've remonstrated with him but I fear it's still going on. It makes me so cross because all the people I know who own dogs, and they are many in ED, all pick up without fail. It's anti social, laziness that is at the core I think- I guess exercising your dog offlead on the pavement while riding a bike, also on the pavement, sums up the type of indivdual that is spoiling it for the rest of us.

Despite what I have said above, I do not want to detract from the awful fact of what happened to Emily Drab's Woody and to reiterate that although I am reasonably well informed about dogs even I will avoid a bull breed I do not know well, because I am not prepared to risk my dog's safety. It's a real dilemma.

Even if it were true you'd have to analyse that information carefully- how many 'Staffs'( possibly many dogs look like Staffs but are crossbreeds) there are per head in the population and how this compares statistically with other breeds ( if there are many more Staffs than other breeds the number of bite incidents might seem higher but statistically be no different from many other breeds). A staff that bites will do more damage than a chihuahua, but the actual level of aggression might be comparable- one incident might land a child in hospital the other might not. Quite apart from all this one would also have to look at the ownership of such dogs- my hunch is that 'Staffs' are currently more abused and maltreated by unsuitable owners than other breeds. Abused animals turn bad. I doubt a really in depth study of this has been done- I also seem to recall that in the last 10 years Daschunds topped the list as people biters, with chihuahuas and cockers both ahead of the pit bull- no sign of staffs.

Puzzled, I do not agree with you there. Some lines of Staff are dog aggressive, others not. Those who breed responsibly and have in depth knowledge of breeding lines will tend to know that the last thing most people want is a dog that attacks other dogs. I know of a number of Staffs that are reliable with other dogs. They have been bought from reputable breeders who know what they are doing, they have been properly trained and socialised with other dogs from puppyhood and they are well supervised- they are no problem. I believe a major factor in all this is the backyard breeders who are deliberately breeding from dog aggressive strains (or unwittingly; people often don't understand that dog on dog aggression is totally different from aggression to people and so if the dog is people friendly it must be okay with dogs. Not so). These breeders are also mixing the Staff with goodness knows what, so you have a dog that looks like a Staff but may have a very different temperament. My sister in law has a KC registered Staff, very well bred by people who have been in the breed for years and really know what they are doing. She is fine with other dogs and she has been taught how to behave around them too. None of this "oh he's fine" shouted across the park while on a mobile!!

MsC, I agree- where people are concerned you won't get a more naturally people-friendly breed than a purebred Staff- ditto Pit bull- well perhaps a Cavalier just pips them to the post!! Anyhow, my point is that it is with other dogs that one has to be careful. They are terriers and whilst not as quick tempered as some working strains of JR's or Patterdales, for example, they will not back down if really pushed that 'hold on till I die' trait is ingrained in them (don't Staffs just love a game of tuggy). I also do believe that Staffs, a bit like Labs and Goldens, have a body language that is often hard for other dogs to read, they can be very 'in your face' and other dogs can take offence and then problems start. Quite aside from all that we cannot deny that the dog fighting heritage still comes through in some Staff lines and they are the kind of dog that cannot be trusted with other dogs, no matter how gorgeous they are with people. You hope that sensible people, breeding for family pets would not breed from dog aggressive strains, but people can be very silly- as we know and there's also no denying that some take a secret pride in the fact that their dog is 'king'. Of course, the key is knowing how to train and socialise your particular breed. With Staffs, because they have a natural affinity for people, a lot is about teaching them how to get along with other breeds of dog.

Cassidy, It is unfortunate, but the fact is that the type of owner that is up to no good and makes a bad dog owner is, currently, inavariably attracted to a bull breed of some type, often a Staff or Staff mix. The fact is that most rescues are overflowing with dogs of these type, a fair few with behavioural problems. We cannot argue with the facts. In the right hands most dogs can make good pets but you have to know what is what with each breed. I agree, you get some very laid back Staffs, the sort that are great with people and dogs, but a glance at any decent breed description of a Staff will mention that they can be unreliable with other dogs- a genetic byproduct of their fighting dog ancestry. I agree you can get horrendous Jack Russells but, with regard to other dogs, they are never going to inflict injuries on the scale a Staff can. Children of course are a different matter. In my view, breeds like Rotties, Dobes, Shepherds, Akitas and Shar Pei are just as worrying, if not more so, in the wrong hands because they have a strong guard instinct. It is sad for the bull breeds that so many idiots are attracted to owning them.

I think we all agree something needs to be done, but it's finding measures that will whet the appetites of our politicians, enough for them to want to drive them through into law. I'd love to hear thoughts from our current and would be councillors......?!

Brendan, the devil is in the detail.

Yes, all fair points but you've still got to find a way of having licensed breeding working alongside neutering for dogs that are not kept for breeding and how do you keep these categories separate and policed? In saying that I am assuming that you do not wnat to see the end of all dogs?

MsCrawthew, I understand where you are coming from but perhaps compulsory neutering is not the way to go unless such a measure could be amended to include a carefully monitored license for those who want to keep their dogs entire and to breed. I suspect such a system would be costly to introduce and to monitor and therefore not very attractive to politicians- but it is an idea. You are right that certain bull breeds like Staffs would have to be maltreated to make them people aggressive, but much of what we see now is not pure bred and crosses to guard breeds have been introduced in order to make such dogs more people wary. The American Bulldog has both a strong prey drive and is wary of strangers naturally- making it a good guard breed but rather unsuitable for urban life without very careful training, supervision and control. The problem with Staffs is that while they may be highly people friendly they have a naturally strong prey drive and are not reliable with small animals and other dogs, unless, again, they have been carefully trained, socialised and are monitored around other dogs from puppyhood. For instance Staffs need to be taught how to play with other dogs. They play in a very rough way naturally and other dogs are often intimidated by such play and a fight starts; it goes without saying that many a Staff will not back down once a fight has started. No amount of neutering is going to solve these issues although any reduction in testosterone may reduce the drive to certain behaviours.

In the case of this dog there are a number of accounts of it attacking other dogs, not just Woody. Woody was the last that we know of. Any responsible owner, knowing that their dog might attack other dogs would not let their dog offlead toroam a public park. In this case this is exactly what the owner did. I do not believe this dog was a rescue, but even if he was, the facts point to the fault for the attack on Woody being the fault of the owner, absolutely.

emilydrab, Yes, you've highlighted a lack of joined up thinking by the police on a very public forum- it does not invite confidence. Let's hope the MET, SNT, relevant councillors etc.. take note. I'm sure we will all do our best to make the meeting in May. On another note, I cannot help but feel mixed reactions about Monty. Some dogs, like people, are born bad bad most are made that way by their owners. I very much doubt that Monty's owner encouraged his dog to attack other dogs, but simply couldn't be bothered to train him or deal with his specific breed traits. Had he done so, Monty might have lived his life out happily and Woody would not have had to pay such a high price. Very sad. Well done Emily, you did the right thing.

Emilydrab was quite clear that she had given the police all the details she had plus involving the SNT and the RSPCA, so it is odd that the police claim to have heard nothing other than via the forum. I wonder did the police ask her to make a formal complaint or as she seemed to imply were they not that interested and so advised that there was little point?

PR, What a shame the date was changed, cannot make tonight- can you please let us know of any news with regard to this issue and indeed of the concern of many forumites that something is done to the owners of dangerous dogs and dogs not under control, but that this concern is not twisted into a means to penalise the majority of law abiding dog owners.