A CHARITY'S bid to make it easier for dog owners to clear up after their pets has been left in a bit of a mess.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust paid £600 for bins to be put up on a grass area it manages at Drews Park, Devizes, but thought someone else would be responsible for emptying them.

But now after Wiltshire Council, Devizes Town Council and Roundway Parish Council have declared this is not their responsibility the bins are to be removed.

Former Devizes town councillor Geoff Brewer said: "I submitted a request to My Wiltshire after finding that dedicated dog poo bins had been put up on the Old Cricket Field at Drews Park. These bins were full, overflowing and stinking to high heaven."

But Mr Brewer was told by Wiltshire Council that Devizes Town Council was responsible for the bins so he contacted deputy town clerk Simon Fisher who replied it was not the town's job.

Roundway Parish Council chairman Chris Callow responded to a Facebook post on the subject saying the land was within his council's catchment area but it had not supplied the bins and knew nothing about the collection of the waste.

It finally emerged that Wiltshire Wildlife Trust which manages the land had responded to a request by people living in homes on the neighbouring old Roundway Hospital site to put up the bins as they were fed up with dogs mess on the grass.

Wiltshire Wildlife reserves manager Neil Pullen said: "The trustees decided to pay for the bins but we thought we would be able to take out a contract for them to be emptied but this proved to be wrong.

"We have now emptied and sealed the bins and will be taking them down."

Mr Brewer said he did not believe the bins were needed in the first place as responsible dog owners were happy to bag up their dogs' waste and take it home to dispose of it.

He said himself and a few others also acted as 'dog poo fairies' collecting bags that people have abandoned.

But he is angry that some people have continued to leave poo bags at the sealed up bins. He said: Unfortunately some dog walkers don't grasp what has happened and have left dog poo bags on top of the bins and around their bases."