Kicking up a stink over mess

Coun Lee Pickin, of Upton and North Elmsall Parish Council, runs football sessions for Upton United Juniors on seven acres of grassland behind Upton Primary School, Waggon Lane, but is worried for the safety of the youngsters.

Coun Pickin, the club’s chairman and child welfare officer, said: “It is sickening that ignorant dog owners do not to clean the mess up - they know they should do it. It needs to be stopped before a child goes blind.

“Every week we have to sweep the field to make sure we get rid of all the traces of dog fouling. It’s disgusting.

“There has already been one incident of a child getting a wound infected because of the stuff and in my opinion that is one too many.”

The club has over 150 members spanning seven junior teams from five to 14 years old and they are creating leaflets highlighting the dangers of the dog waste.

He is also concerned about the number of motorbikes that use the field during the children’s matches, and police have recently handed out warning notices to riders of nuisance bikes.

He said: “The bikes come whizzing across the field really close to the kids at 50 miles per hour and that is also really dangerous.”

Coun Pickin set the club up eight years ago and said it had got worse during the past few years, with junior goalposts vandalised.

He is hoping to get funding from the parish council to put up fencing around the field to discourage dog walkers and motorcyclists, which will costs around £4,000.

A Wakefield Council spokesperson said it takes swift action against anyone who has failed in their legal duty to clean up dog’s mess.