Dog poo bag plea at woodland site with no bins

Visitors to a popular walking spot in Nottinghamshire are being urged to take responsibility for their rubbish, especially dog poo bags.

There are no bins at Thieves Wood near Mansfield, and, despite clear "no litter" signs, piles of rubbish and discarded waste bags are often found scattered around the woodland, with the latter even sometimes left hanging from tree branches.

Sarah Dennis, who runs a food truck in the site's car park, said it was "horrible" and affected her business.

Forestry England, which manages the area, said bins at its other sites were frequently vandalised and posed a risk to wildlife.

Bins have never been installed at Thieves Wood, instead visitors are expected to take their rubbish home with them.

Ms Dennis said piles of dog waste bags deterred customers from using the picnic area.

"People always ask my why there are no dog waste bins, and I end up feeling responsible," she added.

She told the BBC a recycling bin, attached to her van, is sometimes misused by visitors disposing of dog waste bags.

"I know people don't want it in their cars, but if they used something like a nappy bin in the boot, it wouldn't smell," said Ms Dennis.

"I have to take all that home and sort through it.

"It's like picking up after someone else's dog and putting it in their car, you just wouldn't do it."

Dog walker Claire Vincent, who regularly visits the forest with her nine-year-old dog Ollie, said the responsibility was with the owners.

"It doesn't bother me that there are no bins, but it does bother me that people leave dog waste," the 54-year-old added.

"You can just take it home, I don't see the issue.

"They put up signs recently, and the next day over 20 bags were left at the entrance. I just don't get it."

Professional dog walker Kate Sheppard, 48, thinks bins would "make a huge difference".

She said: "Despite the signs, people still leave litter. It's unsightly and a health risk.

"I pay for my own waste disposal, maybe visitors would be willing to pay a small fee for bins.

"I always take my waste away, and it frustrates me that others don't."

Plans to remove bins at Sherwood Pines, also operated by Forestry England, have recently come under criticism.

Some visitors there were critical of the idea, and argued it was unrealistic to expect people to take dog waste home with them.

But Forestry England said waste bins caused more problems than they prevented.

A spokesperson said: "They can quickly become mixed with different types of waste, may be vandalised, and often fill up faster than we can empty them.

"They also attract wildlife, especially when people leave litter on the ground nearby.

"Animals can mistake this litter for food, harming themselves and spreading waste further across the forest."

Additional reporting by Ben Mellor

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