PEOPLE living in a Worcester street are so fed up with dog owners not cleaning up after their pets they have put up their own signs warning people about the problem.

The hand-written signs saying “Welcome to dog poo street” are the second to appear at the junction of Crown Street and Addison Road on the Blanquettes estate.

Their actions come as councils and headteachers reveal a growing number of complaints about dog mess in the region.

Some schools are regularly having to ask parents to return to school with clean shoes after children have stepped in dog mess on their way to class.

Georgia Hobby uses Crown Street to walk her two children to Perdiswell Primary School. On Wednesday they were late for school after her daughter stepped in dog mess and had to go home to change.

Mrs Hobby said: “It was all over my daughter’s tights and shoes. It was horrible. This is the second sign that has been put up – the first one was a bit ruder though. I don’t know who has been doing it, but they are hand-written.

“The mess is all around this area and has been going on for a few weeks. I rang the council and they said they would send out a dog warden to see if they could find the pet owner responsible.”

The headteacher of Somers Park Primary School in Malvern Stuart Sewell said at least two children were now arriving at school with soiled shoes every week.

“We’ve had two parents in this week to bring in fresh shoes when their youngsters have stepped in dog much on the way to school,” he said.

“Its a health and safety problem. There is a microbe in it which can cause an eye infection in children.

“As a dog owner myself it really is completely unnecessary and dog-walkers should be equipped to clean up after their pet.”

Malvern Hills District Council has been fielding increasing complaints about irresponsible dog-owners letting their pets foul the pavements.

There were 20 cases reported last month (Jan) as opposed to a monthly average of between five and seven complaints.

Parents with youngsters at Malvern Wells Primary School, Powick CE Primary School and Upton-upon-Severn Primary School, made the most complaints about fouling on school routes.

Angela Nash, a parent and member of Friends of Malvern Wells, said she passed at least 10 piles of mess on the mile-long walk to school each day and the previous headteacher had had to clear away mess at the front gates on one occasion.

“I constantly watch where the children are walking - on many occasions I have had to clean shoes where one of us has walked in it,“ she said.

Paul Hine, Malvern Hills District Council’s animal welfare officer said: “It isn’t acceptable.

“I appreciate the dark mornings and evenings may make it harder to see what your dog is doing and where, but it is still the owners’ responsibility to clear their dog’s mess.

“Some dog owners are incredibly conscientious – it is just a few that are giving a bad reputation to the rest.”

Residents in Malvern are being encouraged to report dog walkers who fail to clean up after their pets by calling 01684 862151.

At Worcester City Council a dog warden is employed to tackle the problem. Anyone wishing to make a complaint should call 01905 722233.

Dog fouling: The law

It is the responsibility of the local authority to keep public areas free from dog faeces.

People who do not clean up after their dogs can be fined up to £1,000 if they are taken to court.

In England fixed penalty fines of £75 which can be reduced to £50 can be issued on the street by dog wardens, the police, CSOs and environmental health officers.