Children in a Wrexham primary school are appealing for residents to clean up after their dogs on their school field so they can continue with outdoor activities.

Pupils at Ysgol Acrefair aren’t able to use their school field as often as they’d like because of the mess left behind by others. That includes broken glass, litter, unpleasant graffiti, and dog muck, which is left for the school to clean up.

Now the school is looking into potentially fencing off a section of the field so that they can keep the pupils safe and able to play outdoors, despite the whole field belonging to the school and meaning that the public technically shouldn’t be using it, but it is a part of the community.

The school says that members of the public have walked across the field when the pupils do lessons outside and have even let their dogs off the lead during the lessons.

READ MORE: Newly-elected councillors address dog fouling issue near Connah's Quay school

Signs asking the public to pick up after their dogs do surround the field, and a dog bin is also nearby, but these often get ignored so teachers and pupils have to spend time checking the field before it can be used.

The Leader: Poo bags, litter and broken glass left on the field Poo bags, litter and broken glass left on the field (Image: Newsquest)

Frustrated pupils say that children “have a right to play” but that the state of the field means that their playtime is either shortened due to the time it takes to clear the field, or they move their activities elsewhere and are unable to use the space they have.

The issue has been ongoing for some time, but recently the school has seen a spike, and Year 6 pupils want to see change.

Kelsie Gartery, who represents the Wellbeing Ambassador school team, said: “I think it is upsetting that we can’t play on our field because of other people.

READ MORE: Horse stables plan for land in Acrefair

“If you did land in a pile of dog muck and you got some on your face, it could make you blind which is very dangerous when we’re playing football and running around.”

Jenson Dale, representing the Children’s Rights group in the school, added: “It’s annoying because we have to stop football club if it carries on - a lot of people like football in our school.

“It’s unfair because, walk your dog, but at least pick up after it.”

Nani Mogale, a member of the school council, said: “Fencing our football part off is not an excuse to let your dog poo anywhere and not pick it up.

“I don’t want to fence it off, but we can’t play if we don’t because people are ruining it for us.”

WATCH: Ysgol Acrefair pupils appeal the public to pick up after their dogs 

Health and wellbeing is an important part of the school curriculum, so keeping fit and offering sporting activities is something that Ysgol Acrefair both wants and needs to do for the pupils.

READ MORE: Here's how organisations can receive free trees from Woodlands Trust in 2023

Rebecca Turner, the headmaster said: “We’re incredibly lucky to have so much space but on the other hand it is quite tricky to look after."

She said as a compromise, they could fence off part of the field for the pupils to play, leaving the rest for people to walk their dogs, but "you must pick it up (dog muck)."

“If we can fence off a portion of it, then we can make sure that we're where we want to play and do all our sports and we can keep nice and safe and clean.”