'SELFISH' dog owners are ruining a family's daily exercise by failing to pick up their pet's mess from a popular walking route.

Dean and Beth While say their eight-year-old daughter Holly can't help but step in the dog poo that owners are leaving all over Racefield Meadow in Worcester.

The family are taking their daily exercise there during the coronavirus lockdown, along with two-year-old 'cockerpoo' dog Poppy.

Mr While, 43, said: “We take our daughter to this area every day and she loves running through the grass, but with each step she treads in mess. It’s disgusting.

“That one walk a day during lockdown is important for our child and the dog so we need to make the most of it. It’s sad that people are not thinking of others – it’s selfish.”

Mr While said there has always been mess on the field, but it has got worse during lockdown.

Mrs While, 45, said: “I’m shocked and disgusted at how many dog owners think that isolation, and therefore walks with very few people around, means not picking their dog’s mess up.

“My child wants to run along the grass and it’s just not viable with the amount of dog mess around. I know the dog poo bins are full but bag it up and take it home – we all have bins.”

Mr While added: “It’s nothing to do with the full dog bins – I think people are just being lazy and trying to get away with not clearing up their mess.

“It is the volume of dog mess that has increased. People would leave their dog’s mess before but now it’s far worse. It seems to be linked to people going on their once a day walk during the lockdown.

“Rather than taking it home with them they just let their dog go wherever and not pick it up.”

Their daughter Holly said: “I am not allowed to run over the grass anymore, but normally I would. There is so much dog poop everywhere. It is really annoying.

“My mum has been nagging at me to keep off the grass. It’s sad.

“I would say to those that are leaving their dog’s poop that they are ruining other people’s walks.”

Mrs While added: “If Holly touches it by accident and then brings it home it could cause all sorts of health issues.”