Dog left covered in human poo after beachgoers use car park area 'as a toilet'

A woman says she was forced to wash human poo off her dog after people visiting a beach in Prestatyn used the area around the car park as a toilet.

Tiina Ligema said she was disgusted by what happened to her Chihuahua cross, Benji, on Barkby Beach.

She said it was the second time the five-year-old dog had rolled in human excrement at the beach since the council had closed the beach toilet for repairs in early April.

The local authority said works are due to be completed by Friday (April 29).

'A health hazard'

Tiina said: “The situation is really bad as the area around the car park is clearly being used as a toilet. My dog has twice managed to get human excrement on his fur and the second time it was so bad it was a health hazard.

“Getting him cleaned up was a really horrible experience. I had to try and wash him in the sea before bringing him home. The smell was something else!”

Tiina said that while she believes beachgoers caught short have a responsibility to clean up their waste, she feels the local authority should have expedited the repairs and provided temporary toilets.“I understand that people need the toilet,” she said. “However a really important public facility has been closed in the holiday season with no alternative cover provided.”

A spokesperson for Denbighshire Council said: “Work is due to be completed this Friday (April 29) and the facilities will reopen on Saturday (April 30). There will be no charge to use these facilities.“Staff have also cleared the area around the facilities. We would like to thank residents for their understanding during this period of closure to allow for the work to be completed.”