'Poo Alley' causing 'health hazard' to school kids

Damian Cerase, 48, says he's too afraid to look up in case he treads in dog mess, when he takes his eight-year-old son Tennyson to and from school.

The path runs off Magpie Hall Lane in Bromley to Princes Plain Primary School and then on to Bishop Justus School.

Mr Cerase, of nearby Link Way, says the problem is so bad that it is known to parents and neighbours as "Poo Alley".

He said: "It's perpetually covered in poo. Everyone calls it poo alley. It's an accepted fact.

"I walk the length of the alley with my head down, too afraid to look up in case I tread in something.

"It's a lane used by hundreds of school children. Kids are usually running about so it often gets trodden in. There are poo-shaped foot prints so you don't have to be Sherlock to follow the trail."

Father-of-one Mr Cerase, who works in publishing, has even considered putting up a sign naming it.

He said: "There's no name to the alley but I thought it could get their attention and they'd come and clean it up.

"I was thinking of putting up a sign such as: 'You are now entering poo alley. Please be careful where you tread.'"

Mr Cerase is calling on Bromley Council to clean up what he describes as a "faeces-strewn" path.

He said: "It's a health hazard.

"The council says it will look into it but nothing ever changes."

The deputy headteacher at Princes Plain Primary School, Amantha Canagasingham, said: "We have had some comments (about the dog poo). It's a public footpath but it's not our responsibility.

"We want to work with parents to make posters to encourage people to pick up dog mess for the good of everyone.

"It would be nice to feel that every adult that has a dog would take responsibility and clean it up so we would not have it as a problem."

The council's portfolio holder for environment, Councillor Colin Smith, said: “We would like to thank the resident for bringing this problem to our attention but hope that people will understand there is only so much the council can do.

"We know that most dog owners are responsible thoughtful people who do look after their dogs but those that don’t need to understand their animals come with a responsibility to society and they need to step up to the mark and start doing the decent thing.

"Where they fail to do so, they will increasingly find themselves on the wrong end of a fixed penalty notice and £80 fine as this is an area we are determined to clamp down on during 2012.

"Problem areas will also see hard hitting posters being put up and we will also be looking to work more closely with the police’s safer neighbourhood teams in identifying those responsible.”

Should "Poo Alley" not be considered an appropriate name, Mr Cerase has come up with a few alternative suggestions.

These are:

- POO PASSAGE

- MUCK PIE HALL LANE

- EXCREMENT AVENUE

- NUMBER TWO WAY

- DOG STOOL PATH