Concerns have been raised over anti-social behaviour at an Ayrshire school’s playing field after a boy was left covered in dog poo during PE.
South Ayrshire Council chiefs are stepping up security at Marr playing fields in Troon after the messy incident left a secondary school pupil caked in excrement.
Community leaders have called out the disgusting behaviour of dog owners who have allowed their pets to run riot in cages containing all-weather pitches used by Marr College.
Frances Carson, leader of Muirhead Tennants and Reisdents Association (MTRA), was left appalled when she heard of the youngster's plight and has warned it could have been worse.
Frances told Ayrshire Live : “The few are spoiling it for the many, it was absolutely disgusting to hear what happened during a PE lesson.
“When you look at the playing fields, it is a vast open park for dogs to run about, but some people have opted to walk their dog within all-weather pitches inside a cage.
“A wee boy got covered in dog excrement because of the actions of those dog owners who not only accessed a locked cage but never cleaned up after themselves.
“You now have a situation where teachers are going round and picking up dog poo — it is not on.”
Frances hopes the council can do more to deter vandals from breaking into the locked cages.
The pitches remain locked each night and in the summer can be booked for use — but some have taken matters into their own hands.
She added: “They use wire cutters to just cut through the metal fence and go in to use the pitches.
“There is frequently a lot of rubbish left there; this was a nasty incident but the boy is just lucky it wasn’t broken glass he fell into.
“I have been told it can cost £400 to replace the fencing each time it is cut open. The council need to have more of a deterrent in place.”
Frances has called on the council to employ a janitor who can monitor the pitches overnight.
South Ayrshire Council say it is aware of the anti-social behaviour and has urged residents to report any incidents to the police, and will be installing dog fouling signs at the pitches.
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of anti-social behaviour at the playing fields at Marr College. The gates are locked by staff every evening to reduce unauthorised use of the pitches and CCTV is in place.
"Our community safety team are also monitoring the area and dog fouling stencils will be installed. If residents see any antisocial behaviour we would encourage them to report this to Police Scotland.”
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