FOOTBALLERS are urging dog owners to clean up after their pets which are running free on the pitch.

Members of Stoneclough FC spend up to an hour cleaning away the dog mess from their ground in Brook Street, Stoneclough, before each match. Dog mess on the pitch has been a long-running problem but has got worse during the winter months because the pitch is only used by players once a week.

Peter Conroy, honorary club secretary, said: “A lot of work has gone into improving the facilities at Brook Street for the benefit of Stoneclough FC and for the local schools who use the pitch for their school matches.

“It is particularly disappointing to think that it is some local people who are causing us these problems by leaving their dog deposits behind and then expect somebody else to clean them up.”

The pitch is fenced off in parts, but a gate cannot be erected to stop people using it because the site is a public right of way. Mr Conroy, aged 64, of Eames Avenue, Prestolee, is now calling for pet owners using the ground to clean up after their dogs.

He said: “I speak to quite a lot of dog walkers and some of them are very conscientious. I want dog owners to respect the area. They can walk round the pitch and enjoy the facilities, but they need to keep an eye on what their dog is doing.”