Burton Mail readers sickened by "revolting" dog walkers accused of hanging dog mess on trees in Newhall claim the problem is common elsewhere in the area.
Earlier this week, we voiced the concerns of Newhall resident Barry Woods, who was becoming increasingly frustrated at the frequent discovery of excrement found in bags and tied to trees and posts in Newhall Park.
He called for the perpetrators to be prosecuted and his remarks have sparked support from other residents, not only in South Derbyshire but other surrounding areas, who are also fed up with the problem.
Mr Woods, 71, told the Burton Mail: "The majority of people who use the park are responsible but there is the occasional one or two who don’t pick up after their dogs.
"It is a shame because children are playing there and teenagers use the area for football, you can only imagine what happens when they slide in it.
"If you go on the park any time of the day you see people walking dogs. It is a very popular area and the Friends of Newhall Park have been working hard to make it better but there is a minority ruining it for everybody else.
"It is a national concern that people do not clean up after their dogs and I think it is just so silly that people can put them in bags and instead of putting them in bins choose to hang them from trees; it is disgusting.
"There are bins at every corner of the park and 99 per cent do the job properly. I don’t know why it is so hard to put the mess in the bins provided."
Sarah Gould took to social media to say the issue was "nothing new" while Lesley Chambers said the problem was rife. She said: "I find it very odd that you would take the trouble to put it in the bag and then tie it to a tree. How absolutely bizarre!!"
Roger Cookson added: "Go down by the canal, you would think the stuff grew on trees. There really is no need or excuse." Glyn Jackson wrote: "I saw several yesterday walking through Swadlincote Woodlands - it beggars belief that someone bends down and bags it up only to then leave it in a hedge or tree... they are actually littering as well as fouling the landscape."
Alison Thompson said: "We see this all the time in our hedgerows at the side of roads as well as dirty nappies."
Some residents blamed a lack of bins for the problem. Natasha Rebecca Steele said: "There is never any bins, that is why they do it. I don’t but I do get fed up of looking for bins."
Rachel Hill added: "My house is near the end of a dog walking area with no bin close by and we have people hanging dog poo in bags in our trees and hedge.
"It is beyond revolting and antisocial. I would seriously question the intelligence of someone who goes to the effort of bagging their dog's poo only to then put it in a tree or hedge."
Dog owner Andy Coore said the issue "sickens" him while Rich Waldrum said: "I saw this revolting pathetic occurrence the other day in Moira. Words just fail you."
Dog owner Steven Smith said: "It happens everywhere. I am a dog owner and this makes me so mad."
Jean Fletcher believes the problem is nationwide. She said: "Try walking in Calke and other parks, it is all around. It is a disgusting habit."
Ray Tipping called for a return to dog licences. "How long is it since you needed a licence to have a dog? Maybe it is time to return to those days?"
Matt Holford, environmental health manager at South Derbyshire District Council, said: "Owners who don’t pick up after their dogs are one of the biggest causes of annoyance, not just locally but nationally.
"The council made it an offence for owners not to pick up after their dogs in all open spaces across South Derbyshire some years ago.
"We try to offer as much support as we can to dog owners through the provision of waste bins and our Green Dog Walker scheme. Ultimately though, it is down to the owner to act responsibly.
"Our Safer Neighbourhood Wardens investigate all complaints about dog fouling and act on any information about possible offenders. We would ask anyone who witnesses irresponsible dog owners to submit a dog fouling report at www.south-derbys.gov.uk ."
