A DUNFERMLINE mum says she can't let her toddler son play in Duloch Park because it's plagued by dog mess.

Siobhan Smith says the issue is a "health hazard" and is affecting the health and wellbeing of local families.

The mum often uses the park with her 18-month-old son and asked Fife Council to act by providing more wardens and issuing fines.

She told the Press: "The problem in the park is getting worse and is a health hazard to not only the local children but also adults.

"What should be a beautiful green area to walk in and for children to play in care-free, has turned into an area full of dog-fouling, impacting the health and well being of local residents.

"I cannot walk along the paths in the park without having to avoid numerous areas of mess.

"I have a small child whom I am unable to let walk on the grass or path without the inevitability that he will walk or fall in dog mess. It is completely unacceptable and something needs to be done to stop this."

Siobhan has reported dog-fouling in Duloch Park for the second time in less than two months.

She believes there isn't enough bins or signs to stop the issue.

"While broken bins have now been fixed and a couple of additional 'litter' bins installed throughout, there are still not adequate amounts of bins or visible signs to discourage dog-fouling," she said.

"The situation is so bad that you can literally walk along the path counting the dog mess every few steps. It is appalling!

"When I walked into the park (on January 14) from Greenheads Road, I went into the playpark which must only be about 50-70 metres in and I was disgusted to see at least five different areas of dog-fouling either on the path or just off the path. "I had to pick up my child and prevent him from walking along the path so I could avoid him stepping in any dog mess.

"There is absolutely no excuse for this happening.

"In my opinion, it has now become a 'trend' to leave the mess lying on the ground and people witnessing others doing so have followed suit.

"I feel that the only way to address this issue is to have wardens monitoring the area and issuing fines.

"I really hope Fife Council can offer some help to this situation and help make the lovely green park and play area somewhere that adults and children can enjoy without the worry of stepping or falling in dog mess."

Dawn Jamieson, safer communities team manager, said: "We work in a number of ways to deal with dog-fouling using a mix of prevention, education and enforcement.

“Dog-fouling is one of the main anti-social issues in many of our communities and every effort is made to increase awareness of how socially irresponsible it is to let dogs foul our streets and parks.

"Despite all this, there are still those who just won't pick up after their dogs. Any general waste bin can be used to dispose of dog waste.

"Penalties of up to £200 can be imposed but irresponsible dog owners have to be caught in the act of not picking up immediately, before fixed penalty notices can be issued.

"It’s important, therefore, that any members of the public who can identify irresponsible dog owners include that information in their complaint or alert their local councillor who can pass on the information in confidence.

"If anyone has information on who may be responsible, please call 03451 550022.”