Portland Parish has been forced to ban dogs from a graveyard due to dog fouling.

Signs have been placed around St John’s Church in Fortuneswell after a number of incidents.

Some dog walkers have even sworn at church staff when asked to clean up after their pets, whilst others have claimed they didn’t realise it was a graveyard.

Rev Tim Gomm, Team Rector of Portland Parish, said: “We started to notice that people were bringing their dogs onto the land at the front of the church, letting them do their business, but not picking up their poo afterwards.

“I spokes to a number of people who I saw leaving their dog’s business behind. I asked them why – and they came up with excuses such as I didn’t have any bags, so I would go into the church and offer them some.

“Others said they didn’t realise that it was a graveyard and didn’t think they had to pick anything up.

“One young woman, with a very large light brown dog, swore at me and stormed off – again not picking up the dog’s poo.

“The last straw was when our gardener – who is doing a wonderful job in the grounds, stepped in some poo and got quite upset.”

He added: “Thankfully people are now not bringing their dogs in, though one woman did, she walked past the signs and let her dog do its business and picked it up.

“But it is the selfish minority that make it hard for the majority of considerate dog owners.

“It will remain closed for the time being.”

Dog fouling is an ongoing issue and can be dangerous. Many dogs carry zoonotic infections which can be transferred to people via their urine, faeces, or saliva, and lead to sight loss.

Currently Dorset’s dog warden and animal welfare service costs £200,000 a year to run.

Last week the Echo reported how Dorset Council is looking to improve its service.

Some of the ideas being looked at include launching a hotline for dog problems and introducing undercover wardens in a bid to tackle dog-related issues in the area.

Speaking at a recent council meeting, Graham Duggan, public protection manager at Dorset Council, said more could be done to spread information about the risks from dogs and to encourage better behaviour from owners.

Meanwhile, Cllr Tony Alford said that the service will strive to become more effective at allocating its resources where they’re needed.

For more information about Dorset Council’s dog warden and animal welfare service visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/environmental-health/dog-warden-service.aspx