Broken glass, fires and dog fouling 'ridiculous' say parkgoers

Visitors of Dalmuir and Whitecrook Park have given their say on the state of their leisure spots after online comments hit out at dog fouling issues.

Many walkers praised their park and the freedom to have a local greenspace nearby but say some issues are restricting their park's beauty.

William Gallagher, who was walking his three dogs in Dalmuir, says it's 'ridiculous' that people don't pick up after their animals.

William Gallagher was outside Dalmuir Park (Image: Newsquest) He said: "People just let their dog off their lead, then they are on their phone and if you say anything to them you get a mouthful.

"The park is covered in dog faeces, people don’t pick it up, it's ridiculous. All you have to do is put it in a bag and then walk to a bin.

"They’re not cutting the grass either, they say ‘Oh, we can’t afford it.’ But long grass has ticks and when people get bit they can get Lyme disease.

"Our neighbour had vet bills of £540 because their dog was running through the long grass and there was broken glass."

Williams's cries are joined by Rina McDonald who says broken glass and fire-setting at Whitecrook Park are common and pointed out scorch marks on nearby trees.

She said: "In general, I like it here but there have been a few incidents of people setting fires at night.

"Broken glass is the worst problem, it tends to be younger people having a wee drink and the bottles are getting smashed.

"Sometimes you are walking through the grass and there are large shards.

"My daughter's dog had an operation because there was broken glass in its foot.

"I wouldn’t come in at night; when it gets dark."

Scorch marks on a tree at Whitecrook Park (Image: Newsquest) At the other side of the park evidence of another fire is by a tree (Image: Newsquest) Broken glass on the path by Whitecrook Park (Image: Newsquest) West Dunbartonshire Council can issue fixed penalty notices to any resident who fails to pick up after their dog.

Belle Scott, who regularly attends Dalmuir parks, says there's no excuse.

Belle regularly visits Dalmuir Park with her dog (Image: Newsquest) She said: "I love this park but occasionally dog fouling is bad. It annoys me because there are dog bags available in the library, I don’t understand it.

"I don’t know what else you can do, there are a lot of bins in this park. There's no excuse."

Meanwhile, at Whitecrook Park Leeann Connolly says more needs to be done to maintain the area.

Leeann says the park needs more maintenance (Image: Newsquest) She said: "It's old-fashioned. I come down here with adults with additional support needs and they can't walk on the path.

"There is nothing for kids to do either, there are no community centres but there used to be. Wee ones like going to the park but you can't do it now."

However, many other parkgoers remained optimistic about their local spaces.

Craig regularly walks his dog, Bexley. (Image: Newsquest) Craig Scott who was with his dog Bexley says his family make use of the space.

He said: "My son likes this park and I think it's good. You’re always going to find dog fouling, most people are picking it up.

"I wouldn’t come here at night though, it seems like there are gangs. I like it during the day though."

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson said: “The council places great value in our parks and recreational areas with regular investment, maintenance and inspection, to ensure they are enjoyable and safe spaces for all residents.

“We take reports of vandalism within our parks seriously and encourage residents to report issues of concern to ourselves or the police.

“We remain committed to tackling dog fouling and we encourage owners to do the right thing and clean up after their pets. To support this, the council issues four million free dog waste bags every year.

“To report dog fouling please visit, Report Dog Fouling | West Dunbartonshire Council (west-dunbarton.gov.uk).”