PILES of dog mess blighting a Southampton railway station have been branded an “extreme health hazard” by a city councillor.

Bob Painton, ward councillor for Swaythling, found the “disgusting” piles of mess when recently taking on his voluntary duties to clean and maintain the site.

Mr Painton, a members of group of volunteers looking after the Swaythling station, has slammed the irresponsible dogs owners who let their pets foul freely without clearing it up.

“I find that it’s pretty disgusting,” Mr Painton said. “Irresponsible dog owners walk through the station, where many families and small children pass through to go to school, but do not bother to clear up after their dogs.

“They must have known the mess is there because they would have had to slow down for them to finish.

"On Tuesday, I found nine piles of mess - the most I have ever found in one clean-up."

Mr Painton said as well as looking unsightly and smelling bad, the mess poses a health threat.

With no facilities to wash the residue off their shoes, pedestrians are forced to wipe their soles on grassy land which Mr Painton is responsible for cutting.

“If I take to the grass with a strimmer, the mess will fly everywhere,” Mr Painton said. “It is an extreme health hazard.

“There are people who will walk in it and maybe not notice. We also have a lot of children and mothers use the station – they could stand and slip in it."

The fouling is also a concern for Mark Miller, rail officer for Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership.

He said “Obviously, it is not nice for passengers and all the people who use the area to get across to Swaythling as a right of way.

“We do our best to clear up the area and have done massive improvements over the years.

“This is something that has cropped up since Christmas that we need to sort it out.”

Cllr Jacqui Rayment, Southampton City Council's cabinet member for environment and transport, added said: “We are clear that is the responsibility of dog owners to clean up after their pets and show respect for their neighbours and local area.

"Due to our limited budgets we have to take a reactive and proportionate approach to any issue reported to us.”