AN ANGRY Evesham resident has hit out at ‘disgusting’ dog owners who have been bagging up their pet’s faeces and then flinging it in to a row of brambles.
Pamela Harridine, who has lived in North Road for the past 20 years, told the Observer she has never seen anything like it before in her time living on the road.
She discovered approximately 20 or so bags of dog faeces dangling from the eight foot high bramble bushes on Sunday (March 5) when she went to her garage on the service road at the back of North Road.
The road is a popular route for dog walkers and residents to cut through, but due to it being a private road there are no dog poo bins provided.
The disgruntled resident is concerned the bags could become a ‘major health risk’ in the autumn when people, including children, go to pick the berries which grow on the bushes.
“This isn’t a one off incident where someone has been too lazy to carry it any further, it has been going on for a while to have so many bags there,” she said.
“I could not believe how disgusting these people are to have gone to the trouble of picking up and bagging it, just to then throw it in the bushes.
“The most disturbing thing is that in the autumn, there are lots of families and children who come along to these bushes to collect and eat berries. This could be a major health risk if it is allowed to continue.
Pamela has also criticised Wychavon District Council’s response to her concerns after she reported the issue on their website.
“Wychavon has a contact form to report dog fouling, but the response to that was to organise people in nearby houses to arrange a litter pick,” she added.
“The local residents already have to attend to rubbish that is fly tipped on a regular basis, so scrambling through bramble bushes which are eight foot high to collect other people’s dog waste is a little too far. It will only serve to encourage them to continue doing it.”
Mark Edwards, Senior Waste Management Officer at Wychavon, said: “We are disappointed to hear that a few irresponsible dog owners are not clearing up and taking away the mess left by their dogs, causing a nuisance to others and giving dog walkers a bad name.
“Our responsibility is to clean public footpaths, roads, parks and open spaces, but it does not extend to private land where the landowner is responsible.
“We expect people to clean up after their pets and can fine those who don’t.
“People who allow their dogs to foul and don’t clean it up can be issued with a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice or may receive a fine of up to £1,000 if prosecuted.
“If you are aware of a dog walker who doesn’t pick up or of a public area troubled by dog fouling, you can let us know by reporting it online at Wychavon.gov.uk and going to Report It.”
