Poop Patrol: 'We're trying to clean up our town - one scoop at a time'

It's a Monday morning in the South Ayrshire town of Maybole, and a five-strong group are running through final preparations around a kitchen table before heading out into a blustery, overcast day.

These are some of the volunteers that make up Maybole's self-described "Poop Patrol" - locals who got so tired of dog fouling on their streets that they decided to clean it up themselves.

First there are high-vis vests to pull on, before various buckets, scoops and shovels are handed out.

It might not the most glamourous way to spend an hour, but the fivesome believe they are making a difference through their actions.

Emily Devine is the group's founder, organiser and driving force. A bubbly and cheerful optimist who moved to Maybole about eight years ago with her husband, she is the proud owner of a lurcher called Pearl.

Why she spends time every week embarking on a clean-up operation owes a lot to a social media comment she made on a Friday night after a couple of drinks.

"The community chat pages were all about how bad dog poop is," she says.

"All the comments were along the lines of 'what's the council going to do about it' and the initial post had hundreds of likes. Instead of getting angry about it, I was like 'what if people just picked it up?'.

"I thought 'I'll put my money where my mouth is', so I said I was going to go out and clean things up the next day, and anyone was welcome to join me. Then I switched off my phone for the night."

The 49-year-old admits she was not sure what reaction she would get, but found only encouragement and support.

Her tactic since then has been simple - a post on community pages saying when she's going out, and inviting anyone to join her.

From that beginning other people have started helping out, or posting what times they'll be heading out themselves.

"There's a camaraderie there when there's a few of you doing it", says Gemma Sangwine, one of the group helping to clean up on the day that BBC Scotland News joins them.

"I knew Emily through an arts group we are both in called Maybole Makers, and then I got involved from there. My husband had already started doing litter picking around our area so it seemed quite natural to start helping here."

Her husband Phil is also among the group, though dryly jokes that he was press-ganged into helping by his wife and Emily.

Despite the name, it isn't just dog dirt the group are tackling - all sorts of rubbish gets disposed of in the course of an hour.

Coffees and teas are ordered at a local community centre before it's back to Emily's house to drop off the vest and various buckets and shovels.

However, dog fouling is clearly one of the most frustrating obstacles in keeping an area clean.

In 2024 an increase in cases saw South Ayrshire Council announce enforcement patrols were to be carried out across the region, with £80 fixed fines as the penalty.

In Renfrewshire, the local authority is considering having plain clothes police patrols to try and catch more dogs in the act, due to the volume of complaints it has received.

Emily, who runs her own business as an artist and designer, has sympathy for councils, rather than joining in the usual social media pile-on demanding more action.

"We shouldn't be pointing fingers, we should be helping. Yes, it's the council's job to collect bins but that's only one day a week and there is only so much it can really do.

"We need to do this regularly and get different generations doing it and getting behind it - so that keeping the area clean becomes force of habit. You can't get disheartened if an area gets messy again."

Renata Kaminska is one of those keeping the faith. Like Gemma, she knew Emily through Maybole Makers and soon found herself donning the hi-vis vest.

She believes the initiative is making a genuine difference around the town.

"On John Knox Street, where I stay, it has been getting cleaner and tidier," she says.

"It used to be covered with dirt or rubbish, and litter attracts litter. But once you get somewhere clean I think it is harder for someone to then drop litter or let a dog use the streets, because it's in your head how clean it is.

"If you see somewhere dirty then you think no-one cares and it is easier to do it yourself."

Renata only moved to Maybole around a year ago, after nearly two decades living in London.

She eagerly joined up to various groups while getting to know the area.

At the other end of the scale is Simon Glendenning, a community council member and keen local historian who has lived in Maybole all his life.

"I love when new people come in and bring a fresh perspective," he says.

"I'm on the community council and we would sit around and talk about dog mess. Then Emily started this, and I thought 'well, she's right' - let's do something. "

Nothing too dramatic - or disgusting - is found on this wander, but plenty of bottles, crisp packets and sweet wrappers are scooped up.

Emily is aiming to secure funding to install what she calls "community-operated poop bins" around the town next - essentially creating extra disposal points.

Yet she is also hoping she's already established something within the local community itself.

"I was out doing this one day and someone said he'd missed his bus so he'd give me a hand for the next hour. And he did, just helping out. That's what gives you a buzz.

"You do feel like a wee squad out there doing this. Also it means you don't get looked at like you're a crazy lady picking up rubbish on her own…"