Outrage at lazy dog walkers who are threatening Hadrian's Wall

by · Mail Online

Dog owners have been accused of 'ruining a national landmark' by covering the ancient Hadrian's Wall with used waste bags.

Furious locals and park rangers have blasted 'lazy' dog owners as an increasing number of filled plastic waste bags have been left wedged inside the cracks of the famous 1,900-year-old stone wall.

The Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of the 73-mile-long structure during a visit to Britain in AD 122, to protect Britannia from the 'barbarians' north of the border, in present-day Scotland.

The wall is a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts more than 750,000 visitors each year. 

It has stood for almost 2,000 years but is now being used as a makeshift waste bin, with locals slamming the 'irresponsible' dog owners.

Walker James Connell, 40, said: 'I was shocked by the state of sections of the wall over the Easter weekend.

'I counted at least 10 different coloured dog waste bags stuffed inside the wall.

'It's just not acceptable that a national landmark should be ruined by irresponsible dog owners.'

Furious locals and park rangers have blasted 'lazy' dog owners as an increasing number of filled plastic waste bags have been left wedged inside the cracks of the famous 1,900-year-old stone wall
The wall has stood for almost 2,000 years but is now being used as a makeshift waste bin, with locals slamming the 'irresponsible' dog owners
Hadrian's Wall is two-and-a-half miles north of Corbridge Roman Town. When fully intact, it ran from  Wallsend in eastern England to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. It marked the boundary between Roman Britain and what was then the unconquered Caledonia (now Scotland)

Fellow walker Jane Turnbull, 30, from nearby Haltwhistle, said: 'Dog walkers are welcome to enjoy the countryside and the wall as much as anyone else but show some respect.

'They'd be the first to moan if parents littered the wall with baby's nappies.

'I think more needs to be done to protect the wall and educate the few moronic dog owners who spoilt it for everybody else.'

Northumberland National Park rangers are also urging dog owners to dispose of dog waste responsibly.

Head ranger Margaret Anderson told the BBC: 'It's a real sense of frustration, we have this amazing structure here which so many people want to come and enjoy.

'For somebody to think it's acceptable to wedge waste bags into a UNESCO World Heritage site, well actually it makes you quite sad.

'The last thing we want are more and more structures along here.

'And let's face it, it's really not hard to carry your waste bag, you can get little pouches to put it in, pop it in your pocket or your backpack until you get somewhere where you can dispose of it.'

Dog walker Taylor Hughes, of Wrexham, north Wales, agreed calling those who dump the waste bags along the wall 'just lazy'.

She said: 'Nobody likes picking up dog mess, but as a dog owner, it's just what you do'.   

Tony Gates, the outgoing CEO of the Northumberland National Park Authority, added: 'I can't get my head around it.

'I mean you come to see this wonderful view, this amazing piece of history, would it look the same if every 50m or so there's a waste bag hanging out of it?

'I don't think so.'