“Clean up or clear off” is the message to dog owners from one Helston businesswoman who is fed up with mess blighting the streets.

Tanya Roberts said dog mess was “bespoiling” the centre of Helston and questioned why dogs even needed to be brought into the town centre at all.

Mrs Roberts, who has two businesses in the town, said: “We are now increasingly annoyed at the number of irresponsible dog owners who bring their animals into the town centre.

“Pavement mess has to be cleared up most mornings to stop customers treading it into our premises; mess that has been left by dogs.

“If this is not enough, we have recently experienced one owner physically putting his animal into the ope alongside our premises so that it could do its business out of sight of passers-by - and then refusing to pick up the mess.

“Dogs are also encouraged to pee against shop fronts, leaving unpleasant smells - which inevitably attract more dogs.”

Mrs Roberts believed owners should instead be taking their animals to grassy areas, adding: “Why is there a need for dogs to be brought into the town centre? It must be unpleasant for the animals to walk on a hard surface all of the time, instead of being taken for a decent run in open countryside.

“Why do these selfish people not realise that they are bespoiling the centre of Helston by their actions? If people cannot be responsible for their pets, they ought not to own a dog.

“Clean the mess up, or clear off and let the dog mess on its own doorstep.”