Dog poo test man cleared by magistrates

A dog owner, who tried to prove the difference between labrador and poodle poo to council officials, has been given the benefit of the doubt by magistrates.

For Elliott the arthritic Labrador landed David Murray in court after his old legs gave way and he was wrongly accused of pooping on the pavement. Mr Murray was handed a £50 fixed fine by wardens for dog fouling in the street.

But the 45-year-old refused to pay, claiming the mess did not belong to 11-year-old Elliott, who had only squatted because his back legs had given way. He refused to pay and was taken to court after insisting that the dirty deed had been carried out by a pooodle.



Mr Murray even bagged the offending mess before collecting a sample from Elliott and then took them to the offices of Hartlepool Borough Council to "provide a comparison" - demanding officials send the number twos away to be tested. They refused.

Following a court hearing, Hartlepool magistrates have now ruled that it is impossible to prove the dirt came from the Labrador and threw the case out.

Mr Murray, who had denied the offence, has now made a sign for his dog which reads: "Not Guilty. Squatting - but not dropping".