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A woman says her dog got human waste on his paws and ate a soiled wet wipe while walking near playing fields used by travellers.

Miriam Parker, from Minster, on the Isle of Sheppey, said that she was taking beagle, Bert, through a footpath near the Scrapsgate Road playing fields on Sunday morning when she came across the mess.

At the time, the travellers pitched on the fields were still there, two days after their deadline to leave, which was Friday. On Monday, the group moved on to playing fields in New Road, Sheerness.

The 63-year-old care worker said the public footpaths along the edge of the Scrapsgate Road playing field were covered in used toilet paper and wet wipes covered in human poo, as well as soiled underwear and nappies.

While walking her dog, he got human waste on his paws, and even ate a soiled wet wipe.

Miriam said yesterday: "It still hasn't passed through him, I'm worried I'll have to face vet bills if it doesn't soon.

"I've not taken him back there since, I decided I couldn't risk it. The footpaths had been used as a toilet.

"I wouldn't even mind if they emptied their chemical toilets onto the field, because it would at least be treated. But this is disgusting and not safe.

"They were a lot better than the last time travellers were on the field, when there were freezers left in the ditch.

"So I was singing their praises at first, but now the state of the park is vile."

The mother-of-one said that she is warning other dog walkers to stay away from the park until it is cleaned.

She said yesterday: "I went back and had a walk around after the caravans had left, but it still hadn't been cleaned up even though the council said they would clean it urgently."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said that as of this morning the footpath has been cleared, meaning it is safe to use again, and the gate is padlocked shut.

But he said that a clearing under the trees was still contaminated with toilet paper and other waste, and tree cuttings that were dumped on the back path of the field were still there.

A Swale Borough Council spokesperson said today: “We’ve also been to collect the rubbish left at Scrapsgate and will visit again today to do another sweep of the area.”

The group of travellers are now on the playing fields in New Road, Sheerness, meaning New Road FC, who use them, have had to cancel their training sessions this week.

The council spokesperson said: “We issued a section 77 notice yesterday to the unauthorised encampment at Festival Fields in Sheerness stating that they must move on by 5pm tomorrow (Friday) September 2.

“Once gone, we’ll clear the site of any rubbish as quickly as we can so that New Road football club can resume training and playing matches on the pitches."

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