COUNCILLORS were left horrified when they discovered ‘human faeces and associated used toilet paper’ had been found in Stanhope Park, Holsworthy, writes Zoë Uglow.

This has been an ongoing problem for the town over the last five months with the person or persons defecating on a now weekly basis in Stanhope Park near the entrance and in an area near to the children’s playgroup.

Town clerk Vanessa Saunders had the onerous task of breaking the news to councillors at the full meeting of Holsworthy Town Council on Wednesday, January 10.

She said: “We have a bit of an issue. Someone has been defecating in various locations around Stanhope Park. It is obviously human remains and has been happening on a more regular basis, with the person choosing more and more ostentatious places to ‘do their business’.

“To start with it had just been around the back of the storage container in the park, which wasn’t acceptable but at least it was out of direct sight. But recently it has escalated and is now happening in more visible areas like the entrance to the park and even worse we found some by the children’s play equipment, which is just atrocious.”

Ms Saunders told councillors that this has been happening at least once a week with both human faeces and associated used toilet paper being found.

To make matters worse it was revealed that the task of clearing up the faeces had, up until now, lay in the hands of the town council’s handyman George Wilcox.

Ms Saunders added: “It is really not nice and especially not for George who is the one who has to clear up this person’s mess!”

The councillors expressed their disgust at the news. Deputy mayor Colin Punter said it had become ‘vulgar in its placement’, Cllr Helen Parker suggested the person wanted to be caught as they were ‘doing it in increasingly more public places’ and Cllr Joanne Heaven wondered why anyone would do such a thing when the ‘weather had been so cold recently’.

Ms Saunders said this problem was not unique and had occurred in the town before. She said: “I have been informed that probably five or six years before my time as town clerk someone was found to be defecating in the park.”

She explained that the person responsible was eventually found and written to, adding: “I believe last time the person was found because they left a receipt with the ‘evidence’.”

Ms Saunders assured councillors that the matter was being taken very seriously and had been reported both to the police and the environmental health team at Torridge District Council.

She said: “Dean Smith, the Torridge [community safety and public health lead] officer who was involved with the original case, will now take it on and Torridge District Council are taking this matter very seriously — as are we. If found, I have been assured the culprit will be prosecuted.”

As a precautionary measure CCTV coverage in the area has also been improved. Ms Saunders added: “The matter seems to be escalating and the recent human excrement in the park was right on the path by the park gates and not far from the younger children’s playground. The path is used very regularly by children and parents to get to school. I would ask anybody who has any idea who is carrying out this disgusting practice to report it to the police or to the town council.”

Torridge District Council has made assurances it will be working closely with the town council and the police to ensure the culprit is discovered and the matter is brought to a close.

A spokesperson said: “Torridge District Council’s community safety team are currently working closely with Devon and Cornwall Police and Holsworthy Town Council to identify person(s) responsible for depositing human faeces at various locations around Stanhope Park.

“Council enforcement officers and police are currently conducting high visibility patrols to prevent and stop this unacceptable behaviour. We are also appealing for help from the public and if anyone has any information that could assist us in identifying those responsible please contact Dean Smith on 01237 428810.”