Wirral dog owners are top of the UK poop-scoop league, it has been claimed.

Enforcement officers from Kingdom - the organisation hired by Wirral Council to implement its "zero tolerance approach" to dog fouling in the borough - say they have never encountered such a high level of compliance with the law.

It is nearly two months since the firm took over responsibility for dog fouling enforcement as an extension to the litter contract they already fulfill on the council’s behalf - and over that time officers have observed more than 600 people "bag it and bin it" after their dog made a mess.

They have also issued 25 fixed penalty notices over that period.

Per constituency the number of tickets issued was: Birkenhead 13, Wallasey nine, Wirral South two and Wirral West one.

Michael Fisher, division director at Kingdom, said: “We work on behalf of 30 local authorities across the country to enforcement environmental legislation on their behalf but my officers tell me they have rarely encountered such a clean borough as Wirral when it comes to dog fouling.

"It does appear that the vast majority of dog owners in Wirral go out of their way to ensure public spaces are kept clean and they are to be commended for that.”

Councillor Bernie Mooney, cabinet member for environment, said: “It is not surprising to hear that so many Wirral owners are doing the right thing when it comes to dog fouling.

“However, if anything, this just makes us even more determined to crackdown on the small minority who think they can get away with not cleaning up after themselves.

“We have an ongoing, eye-catching campaign to try to highlight to these people what a horrible impact their actions can have on others who might inadvertently come into contact with their mess.

"The ‘Do the Right Thing’ campaign is backed by numerous environmental groups, including the New Brighteners – a team of volunteers dedicated to keeping streets, beaches and open spaces clean and tidy."

But Moreton & Saughall Massie councillor Bruce Berry, who is on the authority's environment committee, said: "I agree wholeheartedly the majority of dog owners pick up after their pets, those who don't need to be caught and dealt with.

"The council will have you believe that all is rosy in the garden - try telling that to the residents I represent who are constantly contacting me about dog fouling.

"You only have to walk down a road or wander into a park to witness the scale of the problem, yet the council tell us it is being dealt with.

"The council has transferred the enforcement of dog fouling to Kingdom but now I am told Kingdom combine litter enforcement with dog fouling and don't have a separate team.

"If the council were serious about dealing with dog fouling it would have a designated team with enough officers to give effective coverage of the borough."