A VET has called for action to be taken to address a potential “serious health and safety issue” after human faeces and used needles were found in a Bournemouth park.

Henry Feilden, who works at Poole Road Veterinary Surgery, says something has to be done at Meyrick Park following his wife’s recent experience.

Last weekend, Geraldine, who also works at the surgery, was walking their two dogs in the park when they disappeared into the undergrowth for a few moments.

She noticed a dark blue tent in the bushes with rubbish on the ground. Fearful that there might be human waste near the tent, she took hold of the two dogs.

On close inspection a pile of human faeces was found and discarded syringes, one of which had blood in it.

It was clear the two dogs had been eating the faeces, so on returning home both animals were given vomiting agents and have made a full recovery.

However, following similar reports earlier this year, Mr Feilden says something must now be done.

In a letter to the Daily Echo, he said: “Meyrick Park is a most beautiful and peaceful area for the residents of Bournemouth to walk through and enjoy.

“It is one of a number of amenities we have at our disposal and we have to protect them.

"It is a terrible shame that dog walkers and others may be put off by this letter and indeed frightened by what they may encounter.”

A post on the veterinary surgery’s Facebook page warning about the situation in the park reached more than 7,500 people in a few hours.

Mr Feilden added: “This problem has been going on for years and is clearly very difficult to erase. With the response on Facebook being as large as it has been, we have to be careful that vigilante groups do not form to take matters in their own hands. After all, most of us have a mobile phone and we could (and should) report our findings on a regular (daily) basis and act as ‘wardens’.

“Our experience shows that there is potentially a serious health and safety issue that must be addressed with needles and HIV. It is such a shame that hundreds of people are being affected by the disgusting habits of a few.

“Perhaps a ‘Friends of Meyrick Park‘ should be set up. Action please and fast.”

A BCP Council spokesperson said: “Meyrick Park is a large area of open space that has additional difficulties with the site being so close to the town centre and easy to access by people sleeping rough. With a large area of woodland it has dense vegetation in places, providing areas where people can camp out of sight so we are carrying out some thinning of undergrowth but this is a major task to carry out over such a large area.

“The issue of homelessness and rough sleepers is a growing concern nationally and one that the council and its partners have been providing support to those affected where they can.

“Due to the large area of open space the council looks after, we are not always aware of camps and so we ask members of the public to report these to us with an accurate location, alternatively they can report a rough sleeper through streetlink.org.uk.

“Where we are made aware of a rough sleeper, we pass this information to our partner organisation St Mungo’s Street Outreach Service so they can visit and provide the necessary support and help them to find suitable accommodation.

“When a camp is on land managed by the council, we will also arrange for the site to be cleared of needles and other hazards as quickly as resources allow.”