Kicking up a stink about dog fouling

Phillip Thomson, from Longhoughton, contacted the Gazette after a trip to the town last month with his baby daughter, whose grandma lives in the Friendliest Port.

He said the footpaths were disgusting and criticised irresponsible dog owners for not picking up after their pets.

In an email to us, he said: ‘When we were out walking with my 20-month-old daughter, I was absolutely appalled by the amount of dog dirt on the pavements; it was everywhere we walked.

‘We literally had to tiptoe around it all and unfortunately the pram we were pushing got a huge piece on the wheel when we took our eye off the ball, which was the last thing we wanted.

‘The message needs to get out there and owners of dogs need to act like responsible dog owners should.

‘Maybe if there was dog litter bins at regular intervals then it may alleviate some of the problems. Amble is a tourist destination and this just makes Amble look bad.’

Mayor of Amble Jane Dargue agreed that there is a problem and added: “We do our absolute best and we put dog bins where we can. I would encourage and make a plea to people to be responsible dog owners.”

Earlier this year, Warkworth Harbour Commissioners introduced a dog ban at Amble’s Little Shore, from May to September, to tackle fouling problems.

The plague of dog dirt is not confined to Amble though and the Gazette is regularly contacted with complaints about fouling in various parts of north Northumberland.

Dog fouling can be bagged and disposed of in normal litter bins, as well as dog bins.