A FAMILY has called for a Taunton park to be made a dog-free zone after a Christmas Day walk turned into faeces-ridden nightmare.

After enjoying Christmas lunch, police officer Philip Aspinall, of Taunton, took his family to Hamilton Park so his three-year-old twins could try their new trikes.

"They were laughing and screaming with utter delight, but this was not to be for us adults. The park is absolutely covered in dog's mess and everywhere you looked there were piles of filth.

"The children were oblivious as their trikes became plastered in the stinking mess and we walked behind them to encourage their steering techniques, we also became victims of the vile excreta.

"I can honestly say I have never witnessed such a disgusting turn of events," said Philip.

Mr Aspinall said dog owners should be pun-ished for letting their pets foul the park. "Let's hope for the council's sake there are no children who fall ill as a result of its failure to pro-vide a safe environment for children to play in.

"The park is used on a weekly basis for young and old to play football -- I'm sure they will sup-port me when I say 'make the park a dog-free zone'."

No-one from Taunton Deane Council, which is responsible for parks, was available for comment as the Somerset County Gazette went to press.