'Mop cops' keeping Britain clean

EXETER, England, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A British police patrol of so-called "mop cops" say they are keeping the streets clean by forcing people to clean up after their public messes.

Acting Sgt. Mick Healey said the new police tactic in Torquay is targeting individuals who urinate or vomit in public, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.

"Clearing up the mess left behind is a dirty job, but someone's got to do it," Healey said. "And that someone should be the person who made the mess in the first place."

One alleged offender, Jeremy Davies, who police say they caught urinating next to a store window, calls the punishment so "humiliating" it likely will cause people to be more careful.

"It is humiliating and no one likes to be embarrassed in public," the 41-year-old told the Mail. "I think the idea will work for that reason alone. I certainly don't want to be doing it again. The coppers were nice about it, and now I've thought about what it would be like for the people who clean it up, I'll find a gents (men's restroom) in the future."