A MOURNER has described her disgust at dodging dog poo during a funeral in Selkirk.

And she is amongst many who are demanding that dogs should be banned from all of the region's cemeteries.

Former community councillor Elsie Gibb was laid to rest last week in the town's Brierylaw Cemetery.

But her grieving friends and family who gathered to pay their respects were further upset after discovering piles of mess just a few yards from her grave.

One friend, who we agreed not to name, told us: "There were three piles of dog mess right next to Elsie's grave.

"Dog dirt has been a problem at the cemetery for a while but it is shocking that we are having to watch our feet during a funeral.

"We had to move away from one area around the grave not to stand on it.

"There were a lot of people at the funeral from outside the area and I felt like apologising to them for the state our cemetery has become."

Last year the Border Telegraph highlighted similar problems at Eastlands Cemetery in Galashiels.

Maria Gray hit out after discovering dog faeces on her brother's gravestone.

And she had to also clear dog poo from her parents' grave on a previous visit.

We also reported how a grieving father had discovered dog mess around the grave of his teenage son at Heatheryett Cemetery in Galashiels.

A dog ban had been in place across the region's cemeteries but it wasn't renewed.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “The management rules were put in place before the 2003 Dog Fouling Act.

“These rules only last for a period of 10 years.

"As they expired, a decision was taken not to create new management rules, partly because of the changes from the 2003 Act and also as it had been found that the management rules were not as effective as had been intended."

Scottish Borders Council entered into a partnership last May with private firm 3GS to patrol for poo pests.

But latest figures released from the local authority show that only four tickets have been issued - despite a surge in complaints during 2016 to almost 500.

Local MSP John Lamont said: “Dog fouling remains one of the most common causes of complaint amongst residents. Looking at these figures, it is hardly surprising that some people think they can get away with not cleaning up after their pets.

“There is little point in employing wardens if so few fines are handed out. The council really needs to get a grip on this issue. It’s a major nuisance for residents, but it’s also dangerous for children.

“We need to do more to encourage dog owners to behave responsibly, but one way to stamp out this issue would be to hand out more fines and to actually make sure they are being paid.

"This would make people think twice about leaving their dog’s mess behind.”

The local authority spokesman added: "“The enforcement officers monitor areas such as cemeteries and will issue fines of £80 to anyone caught allowing their dog to foul.

"We would continue to encourage people to get in touch with us with details of dog fouling in cemeteries and other areas so irresponsible owners can be caught.”