SCHOOL chiefs fed up with thoughtless dog owners have taken drastic steps to ban the pets from their land.

Despite repeated requests to owners, Guiseley School still suffers from dog mess as a result of people walking their animals through the Fieldhead school's sports fields.

And now, the school has put up a large yellow and black banner in trees close to the sports fields saying 'No Dogs Please'.

Tom Harbord, the school's site supervisor, said repeated attempts to ban dogs from being walked in the school grounds had failed.

"Despite handing out polite letters, many dog owners, some of whom live near the school, still consider the school's sports fields as an area to let their dogs run free and use as a toilet.

"Others have been seen arriving by car, letting their dogs out on the fields and then calling them back when it's time to go home."

He said the problem of pupils trailing dog mess from their shoes into the school and onto the carpets was getting worse.

"Polite verbal requests by school staff for dog owners and their pets to leave school property are met with looks of astonishment.

"Some produce plastic bags as evidence that they are responsible and take their pet's mess home with them, but of course they cannot remove all traces of faeces this way.

"If it is then perhaps the owners should allow their dogs to excrete on their own lawns."

Mr Harbord said the school had put up the banner to highlight the problem and in the hope dog owners would at last take notice.

"The banner is clearly visible from Bradford Road and should be seen by any dog owners approaching school property from that direction but whether this will help to get the message home remains to be seen," he added.

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