BATCHLEY dog owners are putting the health and safety of children at risk by allowing their pets to foul on a school playing field.

Birchensale Middle School premises manager Trisha Duncan said dog mess on the playing field had become a real problem in the last term.

"We would prefer people not to walk their dogs on the playing field," she said.

"Students are using the fields all the time for their sports lessons and the amount of dog mess around is putting their health and safety at risk."

Mrs Duncan said they were working closely with Redditch's dog wardens to alleviate the problem.

Last week, the Bridley Moor Road school called the dog warden because of a stray Rottweiler on the premises.