NEW measures to target dog fouling in Watchet could leave elderly and disabled people struggling to find a place to exercise their pets, it was claimed this week.

The town council is proposing extending a ban on dogs that covers part of the parish memorial ground to cover most of the area.

Dogs were banned from the children’s play area and putting green in April.

Sara Summers, 43, is a member of the Somerset Access and Inclusion Group, which looks after the rights of disabled people.

She said: “This particular area is the only level accessible area.

“We agreed with the measure in April, now the council is offering disabled people an area which’s completely inaccessible to wheelchair users, elderly people or people with push chairs.

“It is also quite a dangerous area and a health and safety problem.

“I had meningitis as a child and I had spells in a wheelchair, and I know getting exercise or going out and meeting people when you are disabled can be difficult.”

Watchet Town Council chairman Sally de Renzy-Martin said: “For many years now, the sports people using the ground have had a problem with dog fouling on the sports pitches.

“The council owns the pitches and we’ve tried to create a compromise where the dogs are excluded from the playing pitches but there’s a walkway round the sides for dog walkers to use.

“We’re also taking into account our obligations under disability access laws.”

The consultation period for the proposals has ended and a decision is set to be made at a town council meeting next week.