AN APPEAL has been launched for plastic bottles, which will be recycled into public dog poo bag stations in Wallyford, Whitecraig and Musselburgh’s Wimpey residential development.

The initiative is being led by Lesley-Anne Cameron and Claire Benn, who also provided vital help to vulnerable residents in the area with food and prescriptions at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Lesley-Anne said they were looking for around 100 empty, two-litre, plastic bottles and donations of dog poo bags, to be handed into the Day-Today store in Wallyford, which is acting as a collection point.

Store bosses are donating dog poo bags, which are also available to buy at the supermarket to gift to the cause.

Lesley-Anne explained that they decided to take action as people were complaining about the issue, saying: “There is so much dog mess all over the place.

“There’s always been a problem with dog poo in East Lothian. It’s next to schools and fields – people don’t seem to care about their environment and children get dog dirt on their shoes.”

She added that dog walkers might also forget to take a dog poo bag with them.

She said they planned to turn the juice bottles into containers for dog poo bags which would be put in the worst affected areas.

Lesley-Anne singled out one location near Delta Road in the Wimpey development, which is known locally as “dog poo lane”, and another canine dirt blackspot at Wallyford Industrial Estate.

She stressed that they were looking for donations of more than one bottle at a time and suggested that people might want to wait until they were about to put out their plastic recycling bin for collection.

Councillor Kenny McLeod said: “Great idea, as there is a problem all over the Lothians. We do have this in the Polson Park in Tranent but most people who walk there take their own bags.

“As long as it looks neat and tidy, and people respect them, I cannot see why this can’t work.”

He added that staff at East Lothian Council’s landscape and countryside department and the dog warden were on hand to give permission and tips.

Alister Hadden, chairman of Wallyford Community Council, commented: “We recognise there is a problem with dog mess around the county and welcome any initiatives that will make a difference.

“But we do feel that dog owners should be responsible for their pets and make sure that they carry enough poo bags with them when they leave their home to clean up after their pets as they go along.

“This is to keep our pavements and walkways clean and free from dog mess. If they can, they should deposit the used bags into the appropriate bins provided.

“It would be good to have the dog warden show a regular presence in the area.”

Anyone who can’t get to Day-Today to drop off bottles can contact Lesley-Anne on 07591 169936 or Claire on 07591 168230. They will observe social distancing when collecting them.