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Suburban Crime

HAWTHORNDALE LETTER-WRITER ESCALATES DOG POO CAMPAIGN TO LAMINATED A4

Anonymous author now on note number seventeen. Handwriting analysis has been requested by no-one.

An unidentified Hawthorndale resident has been leaving increasingly formal notes on letterboxes along Herbert Street regarding what they describe as an "ongoing faecal situation", with the latest correspondence laminated and cable-tied to a power pole.

The notes, which began in late August as a polite request, have progressed through underlined warnings, a hand-drawn map marking alleged deposit sites, and most recently a printed A4 headed FINAL NOTICE featuring three exclamation marks and one misused semicolon.

Resident Lorraine Beattie, 71, said she'd received four notes despite not owning a dog. "Told the postie. Told the neighbour. Told my sister in Gore. Nobody's owning up, and I'm the one getting the bloody letters."

A second resident, Murray Cleghorn, said he'd spotted a figure in a hi-vis vest attaching a note to his gatepost at approximately 6.40am Tuesday. "Couldn't see the face. Could see the clipboard. Whoever it is has committed to the bit."

This correspondent contacted a colleague at the station, who confirmed no formal complaint had been lodged, as the matter did not meet the threshold under the Summary Offences Act 1981. He added, off the record, that the laminating alone suggested "a person with time on their hands and a Warehouse Stationery loyalty card".

The notes are continuing. The dog, if it exists, has not been identified. A neighbourhood Facebook post asking for calm has attracted forty-two comments and one further note, taped to the screen of the person who posted it.

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Reader Letters

JoannePetone

Honestly, it's a bit of a piss-take at this point.

Margaret_F

Bloody laminated notes? Back in our day, we'd solve things with a chat over the fence. This new generation just loves to complicate everything with technology and stationery. Pity, really. Gerald would have had a good laugh at this.

Margaret_F

Seriously though, why doesn't this person just talk to the neighbours directly? We did this all the time in the '80s. Gerald always said personal communication was key.

Trev_Hornby

Mate, who even has the time for this? People complaining about the council and clipboard munters but won't do the neighbourly thing and knock on a door.

Sandra McKenzie

@Trev_Hornby you'd think someone so fixated on notes would be more inclined to just pick up the poo themselves!

BarryBishopdale

This whole situation is rooted in lazy dog owners. No accountability these days! You'd never see this in Bishopdale.

BarryBishopdale

There's definitely more to this than meets the eye. C'mon, a hi-vis vest? Sounds like a council worker on a vendetta. Won't surprise me if the price of cheese goes up next.

couchgremlin

No dog, no problem!

ropeable_dave

Lol.

GREYTOWN CAT CAUGHT OPENING NEIGHBOUR'S GARAGE DOOR ON CAMERA — INSTALLER SAYS DOOR IS "WORKING PERFECTLY"

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