A dog owner says she was forced to give her pet an emergency washdown in the sea after he rolled in human faeces left on a Welsh beach. Benji the Chihuahua cross was left covered in foul-smelling poo on a beach where the only public toilets have been closed.
Tiina Ligema, from Meliden, said she was left disgusted by Benji’s experiences on Barkby Beach, Prestatyn, on Monday, North Wales Live reports. She said she had to drag him to the sea to scrub off “revolting” excrement left near the beach car park.
Benji's owner claims this is the second time the five-year-old dog has rolled in human poo since Denbighshire Council closed the beach toilet for repairs in early April. The authority initially said the work would be completed after Easter but the repairs remain ongoing.
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Residents have complained about the timing of the repairs just as the resort’s holiday season gets underway. Others have questioned why portable toilets were not provided as an alternative. Beachgoers caught short face a walk along the seafront to public toilets behind the Nova Prestatyn. At the time of the closure, one resident predicted: “There will be a few bare bottoms popping up in the dunes!”
According to Tiina, this has now happened. “The situation is really bad as the area around the car park is clearly being used as a toilet. My dog has twice managed to get human excrement on his fur and the second time it was so bad it was a health hazard.
“Getting him cleaned up was a really horrible experience. I had to try and wash him in the sea before bringing him home. The smell was something else!”
Tiina has written to Denbighshire Council but has received only a generic response. While she believes beachgoers caught short have a responsibility to clean up their waste, Tiina said the local authority should have expedited the repairs and provided temporary toilets.
“I understand that people need the toilet,” she said. “However a really important public facility has been closed in the holiday season with no alternative cover provided.”
Prestatyn resident Paul Penlington, a Denbighshire councillor candidate, has been critical of the timing of the council’s work. Closing the only public toilet for half a mile over the Easter holidays was the “worst time”, he wrote on Facebook. He added: “Might be an idea to avoid walking in the dunes at that spot for a while.”
Denbighshire Council closed the beach toilets temporarily due to an “urgent need” to carry out repairs on its roof. The work was extended beyond Easter when additional repairs were identified. A spokesperson said: “Work is due to be completed this Friday (April 29) and the facilities will reopen on Saturday (April 30). There will be no charge to use these facilities. Staff have also cleared the area around the facilities. We would like to thank residents for their understanding during this period of closure to allow for the work to be completed." To keep up to date with news from across Wales, subscribe to our newsletters here.
