Mike Barker gets to grips with dog muck!

6.00.00pm GMT Fri 18th Dec 2009

The main walking route to Harrowgate Hill Primary must be one of the worst stretches of road in town for dog muck and litter. Earlier this week Mike Barker and his fellow North Road ward councillors received an anguished email from a resident of Leyburn Road, sent on behalf of many of the parents, asking them to get something done about the appalling state of the pavements in Thompson Street West.

This is an age-old problem here. At last, though, Mike seems to be getting some action here. He got Street Scene on the job. They counted thirteen piles of dog muck along the short stretch from North Road to Harrowgate Hill School! The mess was cleared up and washed down the same day.

Now there has to be work done with the environmental wardens to start educating and punishing those responsible. It really beggars belief that there are so many people who are just so lazy and anti-social that they can't be bothered just to take an old plastic bag with them to clean up after their dogs.

All this takes place right outside people's houses. In the Christmas Focus hitting the streets of North Road ward next week our councillors have asked local residents to keep a look out and report any miscreants. It is really quite disgusting and no parent, pushing a pushchair and walking with young kids to school, should have to cope with this muck on our pavements.