RESIDENTS have told foul mannered dog owners to clear up or clear off before the park they spent three years creating is spoiled.

The Lodgeside Trust's volunteers feel all their work to transform derelict land into the £30,000 recreational area off Watery Lane, Darwen, is being taken for granted.

The park does not officially open until September 2, although many of the area's children have still been getting a lot of use out of it.

But the amount of dog muck is putting many parents off sending their children down to play at the park.

Rita Billington, the Trust's secretary, said: "There are a number of dog owners who are under the impression that all this work has been done to provide them with an expensive dog toilet.

"It's getting ridiculous. It is all over the pathways and the fields -- the owners don't seem to give a monkeys.

"The pathways had only been resurfaced for three hours and people took their dogs on to foul.

"We want to report them, but we haven't caught any in the act. The owners should either clear up the mess or clear off the grounds"

"Residents have waited a number of years for this area to be improved so please clean up after your pets and keep them off the play area. "Members of Lodgeside and Newrad Fisheries Club have given a lot of their free time in order to bring about the many improvements in the whole area and we refuse to let a small minority spoil what has been achieved.

"Although no one seeks or expects recognition or praise, it would be nice to know that the majority of children and adults in the area appreciate the results."

The Lodgeside Trust is made up of residents from the Whitehall area of Darwen. They spent the last three years working with children and campaigning to turn the derelict land into a recreational area.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council gave £30,000 to install drainage pipes, goalposts and a basketball hoop, as well as re-seeding the grass. Eventually there will be a number of benches.

Meanwhile, the Lodgeside Trust will host a car boot sale every Sunday in August at the Borough Hotel, Grimshaw Street, Darwen.

This is to raise money for the park's upkeep and to pay for benches to be installed later this year. Pitches cost £5, anyone interested should contact Rita Billington on 07974 867914 or James at the Borough on 01254 702192.