A VILLAGE row over irresponsible dog walkers has escalated into bags of dog mess being strewn across a front lawn.

Lara Allison, of Stockton on the Forest, was the victim of what she thinks is ill-directed dog poo vigilantism at her home.

On Tuesday, Lara, 41, awoke to find someone had gathered about half a dozen bags of dog waste and dumped them on her garden.

She believes it was done to retaliate for the ongoing dog waste problems around the village - targetting her as a pet owner even though she is careful to always clean up after her cocker spaniel Charlie.

Lara said: “I am a responsible dog owner. I take my dog out three times a day, but I always pick up after him. I always have dog poo bags with me.

“I don’t want people to think it’s me leaving the mess around the village.”

The bags must have been dumped on the lawn in the early hours - before Lara goes to work at 7.15am.

She added: “If they thought I wasn’t picking up after my dog they could have knocked on my door and talked to me.

“I had to clean the mess up, I couldn’t leave it there. It was horrible.”

Builders merchant worker Lara went to the police, but was told that unless she knew who was responsible it would be a civil rather than criminal matter.

Lara added: “There is a big problem with dog mess around the village, but no one knows who is doing it.

“I have talked to a few dog owners, and everyone feels we are being tarred with the same brush.”

Last week another Stockton on the Forest resident Ian Hudson appealed through The Press for people to report anyone they see leaving dog dirt in the street, in the hope that shaming offenders could help stamp out the problem.

Ian said: “I don’t know why anyone would do this to Lara.

“It just shows how nasty people get.

“I have known Lara for a while, she wouldn’t leave dog mess around.”