A concerned dog walker criticised her local council after they voted to allow a football team to play on a field, meaning dogs are now excluded.

On Monday, Shotton town council voted in favour of allowing the Aston Park Rangers Under 13s team to use the 33 Club Playing Field but as a result, has activated the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The PSPO was introduced by Flintshire County Council in 2017, excluding dogs from entering certain places, including marked sports pitches.

Resident Sandra Morris said the vote should not have taken place without the presence of all councillors and they have gone back on what they said in July when it was announced they would not accept any footballers to use the field until they heard back from the county council.

She added: “I agree if anyone lets their dog foul and doesn’t pick it up they should be fined, but with them letting footballers on they’ve put the PSPO back on the pitch.

“It’s wrong. I have been using that pitch for 65 years, a lot of elderly people have, we can’t walk far. We look after that field.

“I have a 46-year-old daughter who is severely disabled, and we take our little dog on there and when the ball goes on the marked pitch I’ll have to get it. I don’t see why I should be fined for that.

“We haven’t given up. We have got a lot of support from people who haven’t got dogs and they have got no issue with us going on the field.”

Mrs Morris openly criticised the councillors at the meeting where she said: “There has been a lot of turn coating from some of our councillors and that is unacceptable.

“We have got to have it fair for everyone.”

The Leader has previously reported a row over land ownerships amid attempts by the town council to opt out of the dog fouling measures.

Cllr Gary Cooper, chairman of the council, said the order was introduced by public demand because locals were annoyed with the lack of enforcement regarding dog fouling.

He said: "All it needs is for people to go out with a bag and pick their dog muck up, what can be simpler than that?

"I used to play on that field and when you fell down and put your hand in muck it was terrible. My concern lies with the health and safety aspect.

"I want that playing field to be used by people, especially children because they start running riot in the streets and I'm all in support of boys and girls playing football."