A CONCERNED dad-of-three has called foul on the amount of dog dirt in Musselburgh, which he claimed was “getting out of hand”.

Resident Stephen O’Brien recently found six piles of dog faeces in different parts of the Fisherrow playing fields, which are used for football matches.

He said: “It is a disgrace that a public amenity – a sports field – that children and adults use regularly is being used as a toilet for inconsiderate dog owners.”

Mr O’Brien, whose son plays football on the playing fields, added that he had had to use rubber gloves to remove dog dirt from the grass.

He said: “The surrounding streets are just as bad, particularly New Street and the pedestrian bridge over the river at the end of New Street. In fact the whole Fisherrow area, including the promenade and the river walks, are consistently fouled with dogs dirt.”

Mr Brien said dog fouling had been a long-standing issue in the town, adding: “I have never seen any dog wardens at all in the area.

“I cannot believe that in this day and age dog owners are still allowed to get away with this disgusting behaviour. It is a health hazard and an embarrassment to the town.”

He said dog dirt was not an “attractive proposition” amid future plans to raise the profile of Fisherrow Harbour and beach.

He has contacted East Lothian Council’s dog fouling reporting website about the issue.

A council spokesman said: “Our teams work hard to address dog fouling issues. These areas are regularly patrolled and checked by our community wardens and dog warden. Fixed penalty fines are issued to dog owners who are found not to have cleaned up after their pets. The area is also swept, with litter picked regularly and monitored as part of a national survey scheme run by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

“People who fail to clean up after their dog face a fixed penalty fine of £80. Dog bags are available from council offices at £1 for a pack of 50 bags.”

Irene Tait, chairwoman of Musselburgh & Inveresk Community Council, said: “The council’s amenities service has always been very good at coming out to deal with it when we have highlighted concerns about dog fouling in the past.”