THE Friends of St Helens Cemetery are appealing to all dog owners who walk their pets in the cemetery.

Every week people complain that when they visit graves, the grave or area has dog faeces on it. These visitors then have to remove and clean the area before they can lay their flowers. It is sickening and disrespectful.

Headstones are stained with urine because they are used as a lamp post. Council gardeners complain of being sprayed with dog faeces when working around the graves: how disgraceful is that?

Dogs are allowed into the cemetery on a lead and fouling must be picked up and put in designated bins. Signs at the entrances remind owners of the rules.

Some people bring their dogs to the cemetery to 'hunt' down rabbit holes.

An enforcement officer visits regularly and will ask people to pick up their dog's mess or put them on a lead; they can issue fixed penalty notices if conditions of having a dog in the cemetery are breached.

Friends of St Helens Cemetery