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Irresponsible pet owners who are leaving dog mess around graves in Renfrewshire have been slammed for diverting vital resources away from the coronavirus response.

Council chiefs have now instructed dog owners to not go into cemeteries at all with their pets following a rise in reports of fouling during the lockdown period.

And bosses have asked residents to consider whether going into a graveyard is really necessary at all, as people should only be visiting them if it is essential.

Councillor Eddie Devine, who represents Paisley Southeast, fears people may be going to cemeteries with their dogs in search of an enclosed space to let them loose.

The Labour man said: "I have had complaints about it [dog fouling in cemeteries], and it's very frustrating.

"It's particularly frustrating when I see people picking up after their dog, then throwing the bag on the floor. I do not understand it and it's disgusting.

"People are normally very responsible in cemeteries, but I think maybe people are looking at it as an enclosed space where they can take their dog so it can't run around too much.

"It is sad people cannot pay attention to people's relatives in cemeteries and give them the honour that they should have.

"I would ask dog owners to give full respect to people visiting relatives who have died."

In contrast to a lot of local authorities across the UK, Renfrewshire Council has so far chosen to keep its nine cemeteries open to allow people to grieve while observing social distancing.

Walsall, Wolverhampton and Doncaster have all been forced to shut theirs in recent days after people flouted government guidelines.

Council bosses in Renfrewshire have refused to say whether they would consider closing graveyards if the dog fouling problem worsened, but they admitted resources are being stretched by the issue.

A council spokesman said: “Renfrewshire cemeteries remain open, but we would ask people to consider if visiting is an essential journey.

"Following reports of incidents of dog fouling in local cemeteries, we would remind people not to use our cemeteries for dog walking and to be responsible dog owners, always picking up after their pet.

"In a time like this, we should not have to divert resources from our essential services to deal with this."