Dog poo is endangering our kids' lives at school say angry parents

Pupils at Orchard Primary and nursery school in Kirkby are having to walk through piles of dog excrement on their pathway to the school because pet owners are not picking it up.

And concerned parents say the problem is just getting worse.

This morning Ashfield District Council say they have carried out a clean up following the complaints.

Mum of two pupils Marie Johnson said:

“Children are having to wash their shoes in the toilets and when they sit on carpets the filth is going on their clothes.

Mums with younger children are unable to push their prams on the path.

We have told Ashfield District Council and they said they would investigate our complaints- but nothing has been done about it- this morning it was just as bad.

Another mum Katy Potter said; “It is appalling the amount of dog mess along that path way, it is so bad at one end of the path I am unable to walk down it with my pram,

“I have to go the other way round and dodge the mess the other end, I am fed up of having to clean dog mess off my wheels on the pram before I can load it in the car each day as well as my two daughters’ shoes!

“The path is so narrow it is an accident waiting to happen as people are looking down at the feet rather than ahead.

“The council don’t see it as an issue and aren’t prepared to help.

“I’m sorry but I see my daughter’s health and safety a very big issue.”

Orchard Primary Head teacher Rob Cook said: “It is just getting worse.

“We are in such a busy location, the entrance is not from the main road it is from a jitty at the side of the school. Because it is dark some of our neighours are taking their dogs for a walk i the evening and leaving piles of dog mess on a daily basis. It is not just one it is all over the place.

“The school can’t patrol this .

“I don’t know why someone would do it, whether they don’t realise or thinking there are 400 kids and parents walking down there twice a day I don’t know.

“There is a lot of anger among parents and I share it.

He said the council had said they would look into the issue but had done nothing by Thursday.

Mr Cook added: “Surely they could put some signage up or have some kind of patrol in the evening.

There are three year old toddlers and mums pushing wheel chairs.

“It is putting children’s health at risk there are bins at both ends why don’t they just bag it and bin it?”

A spokesman for Ashfield District council said: “Ashfield District Council take dog fouling seriously and works proactively to educate dog owners and to identify offenders.

“Following contact from the public regarding dog fouling around Orchard Primary school, Kirkby the Council’s Environmental team have visited the site and carried out a clean up of the area, both litter and dog foul. Floor stencils have been used prompting dog walkers to pick up their mess and Keep Britain Tidy glow in the dark signage and Ashfield District Council signage has been erected in the vicinity reminding dog walkers to pick up after their dog.

The spokesman added; “As of the end of September 2017 the number of service requests for cleaning dog fouling has decreased by 40 per cent for the period April – September 2017. Dog Fouling is something Ashfield District Council monitors actively and recently ran a campaign in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy and Dog’s Trust on Brierley Forest Park called ‘The Big Scoop’ Campaign with the aim of raising awareness around the issue of dog fouling. The campaign resulted in a 22 per cent reduction in dog fouling on the site and we plan to use the learning outcomes from this campaign to tackle the issue across the district.”