A CAMPAIGN for responsible dog ownership is set to be extended to cover Padiham Cemetery after complaints that gravesides have been left covered in muck.

Susan Hindle has been having repeated problems with her late husband Kevin’s plot at the St John’s Road burial ground and shared her concerns with members of the Padiham Community Talk Facebook group.

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She said: “I am absolutely heartbroken and disgusted at having to clean dog mess off his grave yet again.”

Mrs Hindle has accused dog owners of not showing proper respect for the bereaved by allowing their pets to foul in the cemetery.

Councillor Jean Cunningham, a former mayor who represents the Hapton with Park ward, has been lobbying to enforce restrictions that would see dogs remain on leads in Padiham Memorial Park, which leads to the cemetery.

And after working on the issue with borough council parks staff, she has pledged to extend her efforts to cover the cemetery.

Cllr Cunningham said: “It has been going for a long, long time as far as I am aware and I know that it does make people upset.

“There were efforts to ban dogs from cemeteries but unfortunately they never got past the starting post.

“I have been working with park rangers to see if we can get all dogs put on leads in the park and I will now look to see if we can do the same for the cemetery.”

Town councillor Bob Clark has also been working on similar issues in his ward and has approached the borough council for extra dog-fouling stickers, which can be placed on lamp and fence posts in problem areas.

“I’m also going to ask for more stickers so they can be placed around the cemetery,” added Cllr Cunningham.

“If you look around Coronation Drive, where I live, there are a number of these stickers. We just need to find the right places where they can be left in the cemetery.”

Burnley Council’s director of community services Mick Cartledge said: “We’re aware of the issue and we’ll deal with it as a matter of urgency. Enforcement officers regularly patrol the cemetery and will fine anyone caught not cleaning after their dog.”

“In fact, only today (Wednesday), a person has been caught and fined by one of our enforcement officers in that cemetery.

“Dog fouling is an issue that residents report to us as their major concern and it’s something that we continue to work hard to stamp out.

“Dog mess in our streets and parks is not only dangerous to human and canine health, but also it is unsightly and puts people off using open spaces for leisure.

“We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to dog fouling and will be launching a spring/summer campaign tackling “hot spot” litter and dog fouling areas.

“The campaign will see more dog fouling patrols, warning lamppost signs, and work with partners to spread the message that owners should clean up after their pet.”