JANE Honey?s article (Tavistock Times, ?Please keep the dogs out? on November 21) fuelled some interest in our household.

Whilst playing on their skateboards at the ?half-pipe? in the park my ten-year-old son trod in dog mess.

Unaware of this he carried on playing and this resulted in dog mess being transferred to the half-pipe. My seven-year-old son, having fallen off his skateboard then slid into the dog mess which meant he had to take his soiled jumper off, resulting in our trip being curtained as he then got cold.

Only five minutes earlier I had witnessed a Doberman running loose in the park with its owner following some distance behind.

I have two points to make regarding this: Islington, Bromley, Bexleyheath and many other councils provide funding to employ professional witnesses to ensure that irresponsible dog owners are prosecuted and fined when they so wantonly allow their dogs to roam freely and defecate without clearing it up.

Perhaps there should be more than one dog warden to combat this problem, and liaison with the councils I have mentioned may help the town council to further understand how to deal with this dirty and unhealthy issue.

It seems to me only a matter of time before, in today?s litigation mentality, a town council will be forced to pay compensation to an unfortunate soul who has contracted toxocariasis in a council facility.

My second point is this: I fail to understand how it can be suggested that a tiny area of the park should be fenced off to protect children from dogs and their mess.

Surely this should be the other way round, with an adequate area suitably fenced and designated for dogs and their owners.

The remaining parkland could then be enjoyed by everyone without fear of sitting on, treading on and being infected by dog?s mess. Outside this fenced area dogs should be kept on a leash.

Dogs are not encouraged to run loose among livestock ? shouldn?t children by afforded the same responsibility?

Incidentally, for those of you who may wonder, I am not anti-dog, merely anti the owners who so carelessly and selfishly let their dogs defecate all around our lovely town.

Dawn Tebbutt

Tavistock