A concerned mum is up in arms about irresponsible dog owners who are persistently failing to clean up after their pets in the community park opposite her home reports ANNABEL HUGHES .

The last straw for Sally Saint (pictured above with son Edward) of Old Hereford Road was when her 14-month-old toddler Edward stepped in a pile of dog mess during their daily walk.

When a polite notice posted by Sally in Lower Meadow was ripped down she decided to ask her local MP to intervene.

"I'm not being preachy. I'm a farmer's daughter and an animal lover," said Sally. "Lots of people, many of them elderly, walk their dogs in the park without causing any problems - in fact I like seeing them there. I just want whoever is not cleaning up after their dog or dogs to realise the health risk it is creating, particularly for small children.

"It's meant to be a safe environment for the whole community to enjoy. Edward loves to wander about twig-bashing under the trees. Little ones like him don't know not to touch or step in dog mess. Lots of older kids play football on the field too ."

MP David Davies has written to Specialist Environmental Health Officer Huw Owen expressing Sally's worries about the potential health risks and asking him to investigate.

He says he is concerned that the situation reflects badly on responsible dog owners using the park.