A disgruntled dog owner has hit out after council-hired crews singed grass in an Ayrshire estate – leaving it a muddy ‘disaster’.
Stephen Buchannan, 56, was left incensed when the evergreen patch outside his Dundonald home was ruined by a firm sent to kill weeds.
The resident of Earl Rise says the dirty patches are a difficulty for his blind dog which veers off onto the verge walking through the soil.
And it’s not just mucky paws which have become an issue with Stephen concerned that the mucky strips which border onto the pavement mask dog poo.
Red-faced council bosses have admitted mistakes were made by the sub-contractor hired out to kill weeds.
However, after destroying the grassy verges of the estate, the firm has now promised to re-turf the ground.
Stephen told Ayrshire Live: “Myself and some of the residents here have been on the warpath with the council over this.
“The council hired a sub-contractor to come out and tackle weeds but they were just spraying everything in sight.
“They’ve ended up spraying the public green spaces and my front lawn, it's completely killed the grass.
“Not only is it very muddy but you can’t see dog poo until you walk through it; it’s a complete disaster.
“It is a pain, I’m annoyed about it, there is just a lot of muddiness now.
“I have a blind dog who I have to attend to, and it likes to walk on the verge so it’s walking through the mud.”
Stephen and other residents insist the council did not communicate directly with them when problems first arose.
He added: “The council should have been prepared to deal with homeowners directly and listen to their concerns.
“At one point I thought we weren't going to get anywhere with this every time I phoned I couldn’t get through.
“Thankfully, we were emailed by the sub-contractor to explain a mistake had been made and they will re-turf the grass next year.
“It would be nice if they could do it sooner because it could just get worse.”
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: "We regularly use professional contractors to help keep our green spaces looking good.
“They carry out a range of duties, including weed control. Mistakes are very rare, however, in this instance a mistake was made by an experienced operator during spraying.
“The contractor has already offered to re-turf the area in the spring."
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
