OPEN access to recreation grounds is a luxury we should not take for granted and I fear that if people are not more responsible with regard to their dogs then it will be denied, or at the very least made difficult.

If you walk around the sports field belonging to Horspath Athletic Club, for example, it is very obvious that some dog owners do not pick up after their pets. You have to be very nimble on your feet if you want to avoid stepping in faeces.

I am a dog owner and when I take my dog to a public place I leave it as I found it.

That was not the case for one woman who walked across the cricket/football pitches this afternoon and patently ignored her dog doing what comes naturally.

I could suggest more doggy bins around the whole complex, (it does make for a lovely walk) but I am not sure whether the people I am talking about would use them. Sadly, I think a few fines and attendance at a ‘responsible dog owners’ course may be necessary.

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