'Poo sticks' drive message home in Ironbridge dog mess campaign
Here are poo sticks with a altogether less pleasant meaning.
People in Ironbridge have taken drastic measures to illustrate the problem of dog fouling in the area.
They have created 'poo sticks' and have been out making the point to selfish animal owners who they blame for the mess.
Members of the Lodge Field Group, which is involved in keeping the council-owned field as haven for wildlife and people, have been monitoring the amount of dog mess left there by owners who can't be bothered to clean up after their pets. This is despite bags and waste bins being provided at the entrances to the field off Hodge Bower and Lincoln Hill.
Volunteers armed with their poo sticks have been sent out to mark where the mess lies, hoping it will act as a none too subtle hint to dog walkers.
In just one day 41 sticks were planted, much of it close to one of the entrances to the field.
One of the volunteers, Shirley Scott, said volunteers put out 300 bags a week but dog fouling on the field was a growing problem.
She said: "The amount found in two weeks of monitoring would add up to about 400 kilos over a year. Not only is it illegal, it obviously poses a health risk and some parents are now reluctant to take small children onto the field. The poo also poses a risk to some of the plants on the field, which has Local Nature Reserve status."
Dog mess, unlike horse or fox poo, over-fertilises the soil and so can have an impact on plants such as the wild orchid.
Mrs Scott said: "More dog owners now appear to be heeding the notices to scoop the poop, but there are still some who are ignoring the pleas."
The group plans to continue to monitor the situation and will be discussing the impact of the campaign at the next Lodge Field meeting at the Crown pub in Hodge Bower on December 4 at 7pm.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend. For more details visit http://groups.tcv.org.uk/lodgefieldgroup
