Okehampton College is urging dog owners to pick up after their pets as staff continue to report incidents of students stepping in dog mess during their PE lessons.

College staff have said that there has been an increasing amount of dog mess left on the playing fields in Simmons Park which has forced students to check for dog poo at the start of their PE lessons.

Gareth Smith, principal of Okehampton College, said: “We want the community to be able to use our field at the right times, but our students must be able to use it safely. We have had reports of students stepping in dog mess they had not seen, and there are obvious health concerns with that.

“It is great that local groups such as Wellbeing Walks Okehampton have contacted us about using the field during the school day, and I am pleased we have been able to support them.”

The fields are open to the public outside school hours and during school holidays, but the college has said that staff sometimes have to ask members of the public to leave the pitches during the school day.

To make the rules clearer, especially around dogs and dog fouling, the college has worked with Okehampton Town Council, which owns the fields, to create clearer signage.

In the hope of clarifying the regulations, especially regarding dogs and dog fouling, the college has worked with Okehampton Town Council, which owns the fields, to create clearer signage.

Councillor Bob Tolley, a member of Okehampton Town Council’s Parks Committee, said: “The pitches at Simmons Park are leased to the college until 2031. The college has to balance providing the best education for its pupils with keeping them safe while they are in its care.

“Nobody wants to see these fields fenced off. That is why Okehampton Town Council and Okehampton College have worked together on new signage that clearly explains when and how the area can be used, helping to protect pupils while maintaining community access.”

The new signs state that dogs are not permitted on the field during the school day and must be kept on a lead whenever an organised sporting event is taking place, including events run by local community groups such as the Okehampton Community and Recreation Association (OCRA). Owners must always pick up after their dogs and dispose of it properly.