Ipswich dog poo fairy tackles town's pet mess

A man is dressing up as a giant bearded "poo fairy" in an effort to highlight the importance of clearing up after your dog.

Jason Alexander's alter ego, Morris the dog poo fairy, has been walking around Ipswich in his pink and gold outfit, with accompanying set of wings.

Mr Alexander goes on regular litter-picking walks but came up with the new look after finding a lot of dog mess.

He said his eccentric costume got people talking and raised awareness.

"What I'm hoping to do is just say thank you to all the wonderful dog owners who do bag their dog poo and pop it in a bin - that's absolutely brilliant and gives me a lot less work to do," he said.

"Hopefully I can encourage some of the other dog owners to do the same."

Mr Alexander is the founder of Rubbish Walks, a Suffolk-based social enterprise that raises awareness about the issues of single-use plastics, litter, and waste in general.

"We want to keep these places looking lovely... and clean and tidy, for everyone to enjoy," he said.

"We get lots of engagement from passers-by - toots from horns and waves from children - and it gives us the opportunity to strike up a conversation and maybe give those who don't clear up a little nudge."

His costume was donated by the local branch of Morrisons.

A spokeswoman for the supermarket said they supported his work "because we think it's something that should be pointed out to people".

"We all see it, but none of us does anything about it, whereas Jason has thought, I've got this alter ego, I'm going to make it come real - so we helped with the costume to make it happen."

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