CASTLE Point Council is set to appoint its very own poo patrol to “educate” people who are not picking up dog mess.

The one-and-a-half pooper troopers – or enforcement officers – will be tasked with asking people to clear up mess.

This will include litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling.

To pay the full time and part time officer and to set up the scheme is estimated to cost £56,000 in the first year with £41,000 in wages and £15,000 set up costs.

While the whole borough will be served the focus in the officers’ report was firmly on Canvey beaches.

At the cabinet meeting, councillor Charles Mumford voiced support for the plan, but said the public must be able to see its benefits.

He said: “What I think the public want to see is something being effective and in terms of being a deterrent and also these notices are being issued in a polite, timely and effective manner.

“We also need it to be cost effective, we’ve seen some hysterical headlines in the local press about £56,000 per year, and people will wonder what they’ll get for that, where the value is.

“We need to see how many of these notices we’re going to issue, how much money we’re going to bring in, and if it’s one and a half people are they going to be out there doing the job expecting them to be doing.”

Norman Smith, council leader, also support the plan.

He said: “I think we need to look at this in a year’s time and see how it’s worked and if we need to review it then we review it again.

“It’s something that the public have asked for and it’s something I think as leader of the council I think it should absolutely be one of priorities to keep our streets clean, our town centres and our seafront.

“Every one of us should look for when people throw things out of car windows and drop things, it just isn’t the way to go about your life.

“This threat will hopefully be a deterrent.”

The council said the best option was for a full-time officer working 37 hours over seven days and a part time council worker 22.5 hours per week supporting the full time post.

Councillor Paul Varker said that the training for the new staff can be done in-house, and it would not be necessary to employ a private company.

Mr Varker also said the enforcement staff would be provided with the technological means to track offenders and issue fines.

He said: “It’s a shame we have to even bring this up, but sadly there are people that don’t care about the borough and don’t care about the law and will let their dog poo everywhere and throw nappies everywhere.

“If our borough is nice and clean, it’s worth paying the money in my book.

“We’re never going to get everyone, we won’t pick up every single piece of litter, but we want to get away from dog fouling as best we can.” The idea is to try and educate rather than fine where possible.