Dog falls ill after eating 'drug contaminated' human waste at wild-camping hotspot Druridge Bay

A dog owner has criticised "filthy" wild-campers at a Northumberland beauty spot after her spaniel became ill when it ate human faeces believed to be contaminated with drugs.

Rebecca Ashworth-Earle was walking her five dogs at Druridge Bay when her spaniel Luna found the excrement in the sand dunes.

The 33-year-old dog photographer was able to get her pet away, but when she returned home she noticed Luna did not look well.

She was rushed to the vet who suspected she had ingested cannabis.

After being made to vomit, Luna has made a full recovery – but Ms Ashworth-Earle said the issues occur every year.

“I live locally to Druridge Bay and I walk my dogs there twice a day," she said. "Over the summer people leaving rubbish and camping overnight always gets worse.

“The dogs do occasionally find human excrement – some roll in it, some eat it. When Luna went over to it I saw the toilet paper and I knew what it was – but she’d already eaten it.

“When I got home I looked at her and she didn’t look very well and her eyes were really wide. She hadn’t eaten anything else so I knew what it was.

“I rang the vet and they suspected it was probably cannabis or something else someone had taken before going to the toilet on the beach. Luna didn’t have a clue where she was.

“Drugs have a really potent effect on dogs, they’re not used to it.”

It is illegal to camp on the dunes but there are legal campsites nearby. However, the number of people illegally camping there has risen in recent years, with landowners the National Trust finding it difficult to enforce the rules.

“It’s another bit of the dunes that I can’t walk on," Ms Ashworth-Earle continued. "Luna is 10 years old but really fit. If it had been my older dog who is 13, he might have died.

“The human waste side of it is a big thing for me. What if your kids step in it?

“From a health perspective, I’m pregnant so I don’t want to be hosing human waste off my dogs. I didn’t need that on a Monday evening – it has happened so many times, I’m sick of it.”

Northumberland Labour leader Councillor Scott Dickinson is the county councillor for the Druridge Bay ward. He said he was aware of the issues.

“It’s a problem that is raised every year," he said. "People don’t think they’re doing anything wrong but they don’t realise the consequences.

“I have been encouraging people to use the facilities that we have got. There’s a campsite, it’s not far and there’s washing and toilet facilities.

“You can make yourself a bit more comfortable and look after the local area.”

A spokeswoman for the National Trust added: “Druridge Bay is a popular coastal site cared for by multiple owners, including the National Trust who look after a section of the dunes and coastline.

“We are aware of concerns about littering and fly-camping on the coastline which can all cause significant harm to landscapes, wildlife and communities and we are working with partners to manage and deter this kind of behaviour.

“We ask everyone who visits the bay to follow the Countryside Code and observe a few simple guidelines to help protect this coastline: Leave no trace of your visit by taking all your litter home, please don’t bring barbecues or light fires, and use designated campsites for overnight stays.

"By following these guidelines you can help us protect these places and wildlife for generations to come.”

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