RESPONSIBLE dog owners are not being treated fairly by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, according to dog walkers in Pleasington.

Dog walkers have complained that litter and dog bins are emptied so irregularly on the stretch between Pleasington playing fields and Witton Park in Blackburn that they are overflowing with waste.

Piles of bagged dog excrement are forming on and around the bins that line the route, popular with dog walkers and ramblers alike, as they are now too full for people to dispose of their waste responsibly.

Dog walker, Paul Room, who lives in Feniscowles said: “It’s just outrageous.

“Every other day you read something about councillors wanting to fine dog owners for one thing or another but what are they doing for responsible dog owners?

“It’s all right saying they are going to fine people to make the area safer and cleaner but they have to do their bit too. It’s just not fair.”

“I walk my dog here everyday and cannot believe the state of it.

“It smells absolutely awful and is only going to get worse. I’ve been ringing the council to complain about it but these bins haven’t been emptied for weeks.

“This is a lovely walk and a lovely park and people should be encouraged to visit but this is only going to put people off.”

Tony Watson, who is head of environment and public protection, said: “The litterbins in Tower Road are emptied three times a week.

“These bins are to be used for the collection of both general rubbish and dog waste.

“And it is good to see that they are being well used.”

John Pearson, councillor for Livesey with Pleasington, said: “It seems hard to believe that these bins are emptied three times a week.

And when you consider the pressures we are putting on dog walkers, it doesn’t seem right.

“I will most certainly be getting in touch with our environmental officers about this, “Because thise kind of thing is exactly what we are wanting to discourage.”