KEATS and Shelley may not have done it - and neither did Shakespeare.

But Basingstoke resident, Margaret Copeland, has found the inspiration for protest poetry in dog mess.

Mrs Copeland, a greyhound-owner from Simmons Walk, in Riverdene, penned her dog dirt ditty after she discovered the borough council was not going to replace a missing dog excrement bin.

Mrs Copeland, who is disabled, sent her elegy - ‘Bring Back The Dog Poo Bins’ - to The Gazette in the hope the borough would change its decision.

The 59-year-old said: “The Old Common opposite my home is really popular with dog walkers and, every morning, there are about 50 or 60 who use it. When the bin disappeared from the common, I could see them standing, wondering what to do. I rang the council and they said they expect people to put it in the litter bins.

“But that’s disgusting - they don’t have a lid, it attracts flies and they are used by children.

“I was so upset I decided to write a poem about it. Hopefully, now they will put the bins back. It seems to me they just don’t want to pay for the extra cost of having the bins specially cleaned.”

In response to Mrs Copeland’s dog bin doggerel, |corporate director for the borough council, Karen Brimacombe, said: “We encourage dog owners to clear up after their pets.

“It has been the council policy for the last five years not to put up new or replacement dog mess bins, and to encourage people to use the general litter bins instead.

“Using the same bin for normal litter, as well as dog mess, means regular emptying is far more efficient and cost-effective.

“If you notice your usual dog mess bin is no longer available, please continue to clear up after your dog and place any mess in the standard litter bin instead.”

*Mrs Copeland's canine canto, entitled Bring Back The Dog Poo Bins:

While walking the dog on the local park green, I noticed the dog poo bin was nowhere to be seen.

The council said they are being removed for good, And to put the dog poo in the litter bin if you would.

If there's no litter bins around what will people do?

They will leave all the park greens covered in poo.

So please Basingstoke council, have a rethink, Before all our green spaces begin to stink.