I HAVE noticed the council has made true its threat to introduce on lead restrictions to Grove Park and whilst the majority of us responsible dog owners/walkers cannot justify fighting against this ruling...

I HAVE noticed the council has made true its threat to introduce on lead restrictions to Grove Park and whilst the majority of us responsible dog owners/walkers cannot justify fighting against this ruling, it is an ornamental garden with a very busy caf� in the summer months after all.

I have noticed that the few trips I do take round the park now with my dogs on leads just a short time into this new restriction the mess that has been left behind.

Just the day before I type this I had to walk past five piles of fresh dog mess, and not forgetting the piles of rubbish that is left behind by the louts that frequent the park, which happens more now that the park is not used as much by us responsible 'caretakers' of our walking areas.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that a 'dogs on lead' restriction is to keep dogs under control, a dog on a lead is not necessarily under control and extending leads are a big culprit of having uncontrolled dogs meters away from oblivious or ignorant owners who insist their pooch is the light of everybody's lives.

I am one of the many sensible and responsible dog owners who do want to live in peaceful harmony with others who do not have pets but I do expect to be able to exercise my dogs in appropriate areas so that I may adhere to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in providing my charges with the right amount of exercise and mental stimulation - which does include controlled off lead exercise.

Well done to the council for driving out the last remnants of your constituents that actually cared about such a beautiful park and I can foresee them reaping in the rewards of their hard work with less visitors into the park due to the selfish few who don't care a tot about cleaning up after themselves or any selfish few dog owners/walkers that equally don't care about dog mess.

Not forgetting the drinkers and drug abusers who can now safely use the park as their haunt, safe in the knowledge that dog walkers will not see them or disturb them at all.

And not forgetting that fact that although this ruling now makes prosecuting any fouling easier, the council still fail to actually enforce the dog fouling laws which were introduced in 1991 but insist on using their full force to increase restrictions on dog walking popular areas in the vain hope that magically this will solve the problem of dog mess.

Whether a dog is on a lead or not is irrelevant, if a person is not going to pick up, they certainly won't do so with a dog on a lead, plus they usually don't think that particular law applies to them and the dog won't be on a lead anyway. If the council officials cannot enforce one law, how are they proposing to enforce a second? It just makes them a joke.

So hats off to the council, in just two weeks you have made a beautiful park a pig sty

MISS JESSICA MITCHELL

Albert Quadrant, Weston