Courageous canine Scoop the Dog met Fido today in the latest twist of his Pick Up The Poo campaign.

The two came together on Tankerton Slopes to clean up the mess from pooing pets left behind by irresponsible dog owners - the sort of people that make Scoop furious.

Fido is Canterbury City Council’s dog poo cleaning machine. It costs £19,000 to buy, costs £10,000 every year to staff and run and is used two days a week.

It is used to clear fouling from football pitches, open spaces, parks and housing areas.

Fido has an 80-litre tank which is filled every time it goes out so on an average of 100 litres per week, that’s approximately 5,200 litres of poo per year.

The city council’s member for the environment, Cllr Rosemary Doyle, said: “We had a lot of fun with Scoop at Tankerton and it was great to see him helping to clean up after his other doggy friends.

“But he wouldn’t have had to if dog owners had done the responsible thing and picked up their pet’s poo in the first place.

"We’re completely behind Scoop and the Gazette’s campaign.”

If you know a place where dogs do their business and it is not cleaned up regularly, email Scoop at scoop@thekmgroup.co.uk or tweet him via @scoop_the_dog.

Call the newsdesk on 01227 475985 and we will pass on your message.

Fido follows a round each week but can be called upon to clear problem areas when they are reported to Serco on 0800 031 9091.