Irresponsible dog owners have been caught flouting the rules on a section of Broughty Ferry beach and leaving dog mess where young children play.
Resident Darren Kelly said the situation has become an “epidemic” and has urged Dundee City Council to be more active in taking offenders to task.
He said: “I literally cannot walk for longer than two minutes in Broughty Ferry without having to avoid a dog poo.
“There are a mixture of locals and visitors walking around the Ferry and simply not picking up after their dog, which is making life extremely difficult and also dangerous for children playing in the area.
“I took my daughter, niece and nephew to the beach and to the park on Saturday and I had to walk in front of them to stop them walking into the mess, which was located in nine different areas within a nine-minute walk.
“Not only that but there were dogs in the Castle Green Park as well as on the beach, right beside the signs that said dogs are not allowed.”
Owners who fail to pick up after their dogs are breaking the law and can be issued with fines by dog wardens or police but Mr Kelly said there is not enough enforcement.
He has raised the issues with Broughty Ferry councillor Kevin Cordell, who said it has been a problem for years but it is improving.
He said: “I have two young children myself and when they come in with dog poo it is not nice.
“The responsibility is with the dog owners and I don’t think anyone can say they don’t understand the rules.
“We give away bags for free and we have dog wardens who can issue £40 penalties which can go up to £500 if people don’t pay and are taken to court.
“The rules are being enforced, it is just very difficult to be everywhere at once.
“I would hope now these concerns have been raised, the beach will get particular attention. It is a valuable asset for the city as a whole.”
Environment convener Craig Melville said he has asked for more officers to monitor the situation as well as a review of the number and location of dog waste bins.
He said: “Social attitudes towards dog waste are changing but, unfortunately, a small minority of people won’t adhere to the rules.
“It could only be one or two irresponsible owners routinely walking in the same area and not picking up their waste.”
“The difficulty is that we have got to catch people in the act but there are certain hotspots that we are looking to monitor more.
“Council employees in Castle Green Park can also help monitor the dog exclusion zone.”