ROSYTH families were left embarrassed last Saturday when the referee for the Rosyth Amateurs match nearly abandoned the game due to the amount of dog mess on the pitch.

The referee and Hawick United players were so disgusted that they refused to play, but thanks to a group of volunteers who cleared TEN bags of the mess from the pitch, the game went ahead.

Rosyth councillor Mike Shirkie told the Press: “Dog-fouling is a serious problem in our area but to leave the public park in that state is unforgivable when kids and football teams have to clean up the mess before they can play. 

“And what sort of impression does this give visitors to our town?”

And he said it was not unusual for parents and coaches to have to clear dog mess before the start of a match.

Cllr Shirkie added: “There seems to be an increasing majority of dog owners who do not give a jot about civic pride.

“We’ve spent time building a skate park, boating pond and gym but mindless people just spoil it for everyone.” 

Councillor Sharron Wilson said: “A pilot campaign has begun in Dunfermline and I am working with community safety officers to unsure that this will be carried out in Rosyth in November.

“This will include CCTV, extra manpower and school visits but, unfortunately, dog-fouling gets worse in winter months. 

“At the end of the day, we do rely on members of the public acting responsibly too – council officers are simply unable to catch everyone who allow their dogs to foul the streets. 

“If you see someone letting their dog foul the streets I urge you to report them.”

Fife Council say they are aware that dog-fouling has been identified as a problem again and are asking the public for help to identify hotspot areas like Rosyth. 

Lead officer Brian Westwater said: “The presence of wardens in parks means that dog-fouling doesn’t happen much on our watch, but we have been able to recruit another 22 community safety officers that will mean more wardens will be out at off-peak hours and Saturdays. 

“Our current campaign in Dunfermline has been hard-hitting and we will be sending a questionnaire to ask if they’ve noticed improvement. This will then be rolled out to Rosyth.”