ON a visit to your lovely town last week, I took my two pre-school age grandchildren to a well equipped play area called Dukes' Meadow, adjacent to Great Malvern Primary School.

Unfortunately, our enjoyment was spoilt by a selfish young woman with a lively black and white dog, which she allowed to rush around inside the play area, which the children found upsetting. There is a large notice near to the entrance prohibiting dogs from being in the area and despite being asked politely by me and two other adults, she neither put the dog on a lead nor removed it from the area.

She is also probably ignorant about a nasty disease called toxocariasis caused by a minute worm, which is carried in the guts of dogs and can cause blindness in children if the eggs are picked up from grass where a dog has fouled.

Perhaps you could make parents in the area aware of this disease and also that it is an offence to allow dogs in such play areas? Does Malvern have a dog warden to enforce the by-law and impose fines on such selfish offenders?

MRS E M JENKINS, Settle, North Yorkshire.