A former councillor in the Gelderland town of Lingewaard has come up with a novel way to catch owners who fail to clean up after their dogs: a dog dna register.

Former Christian Democrat councillor Piet Boeijen has drawn up a formal report on the idea, which involves dog owners letting a vet take their pet’s DNA for a special data bank. When wardens find dog mess which has not been cleared up, they will send a sample to the lab so the owner of the dog can be traced – and fined.

It will be a voluntary scheme but Boeijens wants to offer a gold medal for the dog and a €50 reduction in dog tax to the owners who take part.

The idea will be discussed at the next council meeting some time in April. ‘But not on April 1,’ Boeijen told local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland.