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Sir Walter Raleigh birthplace in dog poo row as Parish Council clashes with village green 'hate group'

East Budleigh in Devon, where a row has broken out over dog poo - SWNS.com
East Budleigh in Devon, where a row has broken out over dog poo - SWNS.com

A dog poo row has broken out in the Devon birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh after the Parish Council accused the village green society of being a "hate group" in a disagreement over a befouled field.

The escalating dispute in East Budleigh centres on a decision made by the Parish Council to build a fence around a football pitch to stop games being halted due to the amount of dog muck.

But the Friends of East Budleigh Recreation Ground have claimed the decision has divided the community like never before and they are outraged and bewildered by the decision.

The parish council says they will not engage with the the group at all as a collective as they consider them a "hate group."

Some members of this group have been running a vicious hate campaign against the parish council and as a result we won't talk to them as we consider them to be a hate group.

East Budleigh Parish Council

East Budleigh Parish Council said: "Some members of this group have been running a vicious hate campaign against the parish council and as a result we won't talk to them as we consider them to be a hate group.

"East Budleigh has been particularly bad for dog mess and we have had a number of complaints and last season several football games had to be stopped to clear up the dog mess.

"The idea is to make it a safe area and free from dog mess for everyone - not just the football club.

"We are doing what we think is best but we have been subjected to a vicious hate campaign as a result by some members of the Friends of East Budleigh Recreation Ground group."

Elizabethan adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh was born in East Budleigh - Credit: Stock Montage
Elizabethan adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh was born in East Budleigh Credit: Stock Montage

East Budleigh FC, who play in Division Two of the Devon & Exeter League - the 12th level of English football - have endured years of disruptions on the public green space and have continually requested a barrier.

But Ray Marrs, from the Friends of East Budleigh Recreation Ground, said there was no problem.

He added: "Lots of people use the field to walk their dogs on and none of us have ever noticed a problem with dog poo on the pitch at all.

"On behalf of residents of East Budleigh, we have become disillusioned by The Parish Council's actions that have directly resulted in setting one part of the community against the other."