An east London council is to become the first authority in the UK to carry out DNA tests on dog poo to catch owners who fail to clean up after their pets.

Barking and Dagenham is planning to introduce the forensic testing which could lead to fines of £80 for irresponsible dog walkers.

For the testing to work, dogs will need be to be added to a DNA registry having had a painless cheek swab taken.

Then if an owner fails to pick up after their pooch, a quick test will be taken from the offending faeces and this can be traced back to a registered dog with 99.9 per cent accuracy.

The council, which has an annual cleansing budget of £2.3 million, is looking at how the DNA tests could work with the post-April 2016 requirement for all dogs to be microchipped.

The plan will be discussed tomorrow at a ‘dog fouling forum’ called Leading a New Way.

This will include leader of the council Councillor Darren Rodwell with representatives from the Kennel Club, Keep Britain Tidy and Streetkleen, the company which will run the DNA testing.

It is planned that the scheme will be piloted before being rolled out across the borough from September 2016.

Cllr Rodwell said: “We are the first council in the country to get really tough on dog mess and pet owners who do not act in a socially responsible way.

“The vast majority of dog owners in Barking and Dagenham are socially responsible but unfortunately a selfish few think it’s ok to not clean up after their pet.

“Dog mess not only spoils our streets - it’s also a health hazard and especially to young children. It’s why we are using this innovative approach in making a cleaner, healthier and better Barking and Dagenham."

Streetkleen managing director Gary Downie said: “I believe the combination of DNA testing and enforcement could be the most effective means of ensuring owners are held accountable for their dog's actions.

“In the US, we have experienced reductions in dog fouling by as much as 90 per cent after introducing the programme.

“For the vast majority of responsible dog owners this should pose no problem at all. In fact, we believe that the minimal cost involved in the DNA testing will pose value for money when the selfish minority of dog owners are brought to task and public spaces in Barking and Dagenham become cleaner, greener and more pleasant environments for everyone.”

Residents can join the forum’s discussion on Twitter by tagging their opinions about dog fouling using the hashtag #leadinganewway