LOCAL dog owners have been urged not to take their pets for a walk across Helensburgh Rugby Club's pitches.

The club's president and first team coach have both told the Advertiser that dog fouling on the pitches at Ardencaple has become a growing problem in the course of this season.

And president John Simmons has warned that even if an owner acts responsibly and picks up after their dog, there could still be remains left behind for a player to fall into.

Mr Simmons told the Advertiser: “It's a problem that seems to be growing, and seems to be caused by a number of dogs.

“I suspect people are seeing others walking a dog across the pitches and thinking 'that's a good place to go for a walk'. Well, it isn't.

“It's very difficult to watch all dogs at all times and to pick up every bit of mess that they leave.

“I'm a dog owner myself and I don't take my dog on to the pitches, even though there's plenty of opportunity to do so.

“People don't appreciate that even if they pick up their dog's mess, some can still be left behing – and rugby is a game where you're more than likely to end up with your face in the dirt at some point, and it's not very pleasant.

“We don't want to stop people walking their dogs, but not on our pitches, please.”

Men's first team coach Adam Hart said he and others were having to walk the pitches themselves before games and training sessions to pick up any mess left behind – and pointed out that contact with dog mess could leave players with serious health implications.

“We have more than two hundred kids playing on these pitches from our club and visiting teams, and training sessions throughout the week,” Mr Hart said.

“Our men's and ladies' teams and our minis section all use them, and so do the Royal Navy.

“Lomond School also have pitches at Ardencaple, and theirs, and the pitch nearest the Duchess Wood, are the worst for it.

“Quite often, first thing in the morning before a game, when I should be getting a team together, I'm having to walk the pitch to make sure it's free of dog mess, which is not great – especially when there's nothing nearby to wash your hands with.

“It's not public land. We lease the club's pitches from Luss Estates and Argyll and Bute Council, and Lomond School have a long-term lease on their pitches.

“People have the right of way to walk across the land but they shouldn't be allowing their dogs to walk in it.

“If you need to walk in the area, keep your dog on a lead and keep to the sides of the pitches, where there's plenty of space.

“We need to make sure dogs don't go on the pitches at all.”

Under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act, people responsible for a dog who do not move to clear up after the animal will be fined £80 on the spot.

The fines can be handed out by Argyll and Bute Council's environment wardens, some other council officers and the police.

The fine is payable within 28 days, and if it is not paid will increase to £100. Failure to pay could result in court proceedings being taken. Certain offenders could be fined up to £500.

The council received 53 complaints about dog fouling, but issued only one fine, in the Helensburgh and Lomond area in the first six months of the 2016-17 financial year, the most recent period for which figures are available.