Residents cry foul over dogs' dirt
RESIDENTS of a South Machars town are up in arms about the amount of dog dirt left lying around, especially on the football pitch where it could easily become a serious health hazard to players.
The recurring issue of "disgusting" dog fouling in the streets and communal parks of Whithorn was debated at last week's meeting of the Royal Burgh of Whithorn and District Community Council.
One resident wrote in saying: "We must get the street and the park clean again."
She suggested a poster campaign be organised by the community council in conjunction with the town's school kids to get the message across that dog owners must act responsibly and bag and bin what their dog leaves behind.
Community council chairman Jim McCulloch noted Dumfries and Galloway Council had only one officer responsible for penalising irresponsible dog owners and he had to cover an area from Auchenlarie to Drummore – a distance of over 100 miles.
Mr McCulloch said:"The council have to employ two or three officers to get on top of this. It is a serious heath and safety issue and it's sad that taxpayers have to take a stance on this, but some one could be playing football, kick the ball and get a mouthful of the stuff".
He had also noted that signs up at the entrance to the town's parks warning dog owners to keep their dog on a lead were also being ignored.
Mid Galloway Councillor Sandra McDowalll encouraged the community council to report all of this to the council officer responsible. She added that it was also a matter of trying to educate dog owners.
She suggested the Whithorn councillors follow the lead of their counterparts in the Isle of Whithorn, who took plastic bags with them in their pockets when they went out for a walk. When they saw someone with a dog fouling they gave them a bag.
Mr McCulloch said he would like to name and shame but he could not legally do that, adding that new CCTV cameras in the town would help to identify the culprits.
Mid Galloway Councillor Alistair Geddes said to the community councillors: "Spell out to the Wigtown Area Committee just how serious this situation is. The pitch has got to be fit for purpose if a team is leasing the park from the council to play football."
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Weather for Newton Stewart
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: South
