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A toddler who lost his eyesight after touching dog poo has sparked a war on irresponsible pet owners.

Labour councillor Clare Carragher will reveal a series of measures to tackle the problems at Thursday night's full Sefton Council meeting.

Cllr Carragher says her husband's cousin, at two years old, lost sight in one eye after coming into contact with dog dirt while playing in the park.

She also says her own son constantly has to avoid dog mess on his way to school, and wants to highlight and educate about dangers to encourage dog owners in Sefton to be more responsible and clean it up.

Cllr Carragher said: "As well as it being a personal gripe of mine, we do get a lot of complaints from residents, and we see it on Facebook.

“I know when I’m taking my son to school it’s always ‘watch the dog poo’ and now he has begun to question why he should have to avoid it, even at his young age!

“We’ve done all we can in terms of dog wardens, having to put dog bags on leads etc but it’s about getting the individual to take responsibility also.”

(Image: Blairgowrie Advertiser)

The sickened mum says she will explain to council colleagues how pet waste is a dangerous pollutant in a similar category as toxic chemicals and oil and can spread parasites including hookworms, ringworms, E. Coli tapeworms and salmonella.

Unscooped waste often contains roundworm larvae which can cause blindness.

If a human ingests a roundworm larva, it can migrate through the body causing disease to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart or eyes.

(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)

It mostly affects young children, because they are more likely to come into contact with contaminated soil when they play and put their hands in their mouths.

However, cases have been reported in people of all ages.

Cllr Carragher continued: “I don’t think people take the dangers of dog waste seriously enough. I got to know more about them through my own personal experience which prompted me to research.

“This is a very serious issue as it’s not just the dog dirt itself but where it’s been and how we come into contact with it.”

Her motion has been seconded by Labour councillor Diane Roscoe.

Cllr Carragher added: “People are responsible and get their dogs vaccinated and get pet insurance but if we can just try and drive this message home... In terms of not disposing properly of its waste, your dog may not be safe for people.”

Sefton's Full Council meeting will be held at Bootle Town Hall on Thursday at 6.30pm.