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Dog poo wrapped in plastic bags and left on the Island's beaches is now one of the biggest single threats to the health and safety of beach visitors, a marine conservation charity has warned.
The finding is from the latest beach litter data collected by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).
Last September more than 70 volunteers on the Isle of Wight collected 43 bags of rubbish. More than 4300 items of litter were picked up.
The charity says the volume of dog excrement in bags left on the Island's beaches has risen. Across the UK it rose 11% between 2010 and 2011.
MCS Beachwatch Officer, Lauren Davis, says the findings reveal good and bad habits: "We’re delighted that pet owners enjoy dog friendly beaches and clearly think ahead by carrying poop scoop bags. But we hope our findings will now encourage them to take the bag off the beach and bin it in one of the many receptacles provided for the job. Leaving a bag full of poo on the beach will result in preserved excrement, protected from the elements for years by a bag which could take a long time to break down.
"We don’t want children picking up bags that break open and spill their contents whether it’s fresh or ‘mature’. Dog poo is a source of high levels of bacteria and can lead to reduced water quality, and poses a human health risk."
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