Local children attending Carr Junior School in Acomb concerned about the health hazard of dog dirt have taken their message to the top of the council.

A petition from pupils and school staff presented in April this year called on the council to take action and install a dog dirt bin on Ostman Road. The decision will be taken by Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at a meeting next Tuesday.

Ward councillor for the area, Coun. Tracey Simpson-Laing said:

"Local schoolchildren and parents have a legitimate concern about the impact of dog dirt being regularly left around in the vicinity of the school. It is an anti-social thing to do and the right message needs to be sent to irresponsible dog owners that this behaviour is unacceptable.

"But what also needs to happen is a dog dirt bin is installed to give dog walkers the chance to dispose of dog dirt properly. My concern from the report going to the Executive Member is officers have put forward the option of taking the bin currently used at the Tostig Avenue/Viking Avenue snicket, due its being regularly damaged, and placing it on Ostman Road.

"With regard to the damaged bin, I have suggested a metal lid on a number of occasions to solve this problem.

"Clearly this damage is an equally anti-social act, but moving the bin will just displace the problem to another area. People will just dispose of their dog dirt in inappropriate ways if there is no bin to put it in. I would like to know what the Council will do, and the cost involved, when I have to call them out weekly to clear the planted area where the bin currently is.

"The excuse from the Council of not providing a bin is that they are undertaking an ‘audit' of bins. I was told this in March, and its now June, and I find it unbelievable the speed at which this Council works.

"The other option suggested is to simply raise awareness through local campaigning which I think needs to be done alongside installation of a bin. Campaigning alone will not solve this problem".