Angry Littlehampton mum counts 27 piles of dog mess on nursery walk

An angry mum who counted 27 piles of dog mess while walking her son to nursery has called on dog walkers to show some respect.
Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.
Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.

Leanne Balchin, 34, from Queen Street, walks her three-year-old son Zachary to his nursery at Wick Hall in Wick Street, Wick.

Last Thursday, she decided to count the number of hound mounds on the ten-minute journey, which takes them through Blakehurst Way, an alleyway near Whiteways Close, Kent Road and Beaconsfield Road, and was shocked by the final tally.

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Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.
Leanne Balchin with her son Zachary, three, and Flynn, 17 weeks, in an alleyway off of Whiteways Close, Littlehampton, which has dog poo smeared on the fences.
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All you need to know about the IKEA decision meetingMoped riders attack firefighter in Tesco Littlehampton car parkThe day Harry and Meghan visited SussexShe was considering driving for three minutes rather than facing the mucky route. She said: “We all moan about the traffic in our county and childhood obesity on the rise but maybe this is a result of all the footpaths and alleyways being constantly littered with this disgraceful act of selfishness.

“I have a buggy and am on constant alert, its disgusting and no excuse for it.”

The 34-year-old said it was common to see bagged faeces dumped in the path and waste smeared on fences.

She said: “How did it get on the wall? Did someone smear it? Is it possible for a dog to back up against the wall and do it straight on there? It’s just gross.”

One of the offending dog droppings, smeared on a fenceOne of the offending dog droppings, smeared on a fence
One of the offending dog droppings, smeared on a fence
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During last Thursday’s trip, Leanne’s eldest son said he ‘didn’t want to walk to playgroup anymore’ because of a particularly ‘dirty and smelly’ deposit, which she said ‘broke her heart’.

She said: “It was in his eyeline, so he noticed it. It was in direct sunlight, had flies all over it and it stank.”

Leanne called for more dog waste bins along the route. To dog owners, she said: “Please think of others: just bag it and take it away with you.”

An Arun District Council spokesman said: "The Council is sorry to hear that Ms Balchin had such an unpleasant experience on her walk to her son’s nursery.

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“The Council’s Cleansing Operations Manager is due to meet Ms Balchin this week to hear her concerns. As a result of the problem in this area, we are putting signs up along the route to warn dog owners that they face a fine if they don’t pick up after their pets, and we will be sending extra patrols to this area."

The council recently launched an anti-dog fouling campaign entitled ‘It only takes a minute to bag it and bin it’, funded by Southern Water, which involves the installation of additional dog poo bins, more signage, and increased patrols by Arun's contractors, East Hants District Council, whose enforcement officers can give on-the-spot fines to offenders up to a maximum of £1,000.

The Arun spokesman urged anyone who witnesses a dog owner not picking up after their pet to call the reporting hotline on 01903 737755.

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