DOG owners who have allowed their pets to foul a football pitch in Addingham have been shown the red card by the village's soccer team.

Addingham Football Club has roped off its pitch at Stockinger Lane and put up notices asking members of the public to keep off because of persistent problems with dog dirt.

But the move has brought howls from pet owners who claim they have every right to walk their dogs there and are demanding that the barrier be removed.

Dog owners Richard and Helen Bishop attended the village's parish council meeting to protest at the field being cordoned off. They said foot and mouth restrictions meant there were very few areas in the village where people could walk their dogs.

"By rights we are allowed to walk on there," said Mr Bishop, claiming that dog dirt was not a problem on the pitch.

"I go on there every day and I have never stood in any dog poo," added Ms Bishop.

Parish council chairman Gordon Campbell - who is also chairman of the football club - was taken to task by Councillor Bill Preston for allowing the rope to be put up.

He said parents had complained to him that there was nowhere else for their children to play during the summer holidays. He said: "I think you'll have to take the thing down. Kids need somewhere to play. It's an amenity field. Where else can kids play football?"

Coun Campbell said the pitch - which is used by Addingham Football Club's first and second teams and the junior side - was recently re-seeded by Bradford Council in preparation for the forthcoming season

He added: "A lot of people are taking their dogs up there. We play for eight months of the year and if the pitch doesn't rest it just destroys it."

After the meeting he told the Gazette: "I don't know what the rule is but it's just common politeness to keep dogs off an area where the players are going to play football.

"We rope it off to stop the kids playing in the goal mouth. We are asking - just to give it a chance to re-seed - can people please keep off."

Club manager Mark Ridley said the rope and signs would be staying put.

"It does surprise me that people complain. It's not a fence. It's just a string rope," he said. "It's not a physical barrier - they can duck down two feet and they are underneath it. But I'd rather they didn't.

"I have had dogs and I know what it's like. But what I can't understand is why people have to walk a dog on a football field. Over the course of the day the number of dogs on there is horrendous. I have seen people leaving dog mess up there.

"We get to the position where we are playing and there's dog excrement all over the place."

Mr Ridley said he did not have the right to stop people using the field. But he urged people - dog walkers and children included - to show a bit of consideration to players of the Harrogate League club.

"I just think it's common sense. If you can, try and use other areas until the seed has taken hold. It just needs a bit of time.

"If people walk the dogs on it, pick the mess up. People just need to be a bit more courteous."