Ref. 75653-21CHILDREN are playing with dog faeces in a game that is not only disgusting but could lead to blindness.

To the horror of health officials, dog mess is proving to be a popular plaything in one part of Swindon.

Children in Nythe have been removing bags of dog waste from bins and hurling them at each other.

Now, public health officials are warning youngsters that they are putting themselves in serious danger.

Besides being riddled with bacteria, dog faeces can contain the eggs of the toxicara worm which causes blindness.

If they get into the mouth, the worm grows in the body, travelling around the bloodstream until it reaches the eye.

Environmental protection officer Ian Ashmore, from Swindon Council, said that he had come across similar incidents before.

"It's a horrible little game, but unfortunately it's because it's disgusting that children are doing it," he said.

"It's much better that faeces is put in bins than left lying on the floor.

"But we cannot stop kids from getting hold of the bags if they really want to."

Fortunately, the problem appears to be confined to the bin on the grass area off Bryanston Way.

Several months ago, Stratton St Margaret parish council, which maintains the green, received complaints about children throwing waste bags into nearby gardens.

The bin was changed and now the bags cannot be removed if disposed of properly.

But dog walkers are leaving them on top of the bin, without using the shoot.

Parish council chairman Peter Owen said: "We changed the bin to stop the problem. What else can we do?

"If dog walkers used the bin properly this wouldn't happen.

"I just can't understand these kids. There is play equipment nearby but they would rather do this."

In other parts of town, fireworks have been put in dog waste bins, and others have been set on fire.

Steve Hatherall, 44, a printer from Bryanston Way, said: "I ride my bike past that bin to work everyday and I see all the mess scattered along the path.

It's disgusting. We have young people going down there in the evenings and obviously they've got nothing better to do."

Rob Staynings, 29, a warehouse manager from Bryan-ston Way, added: "There's not normally a lot of trouble here but we get kids hanging about and there's no sports facilities for them, But that's not really an excuse. It's not the sort of thing I remember doing as a kid."

Betty Dennis, 75, retired, from Bryanston Way, said: "It's good that dog walkers go to the effort of putting the stuff in the bins but if people are getting it out and chucking it about, they must be desperate mustn't they?"

Blindness could result from this parasite

The parasite toxicara is found in dog faeces which can cause blindness if swallowed.

Although the parasite can be found in cats, its main host is the dog, and its eggs, which can remain viable for up to two years are found in dogs' faeces.

It may take weeks or months after swallowing these eggs for symptoms to develop which can last for a year or more and include one or more of the following: headache, fever, sore throat, aching limbs, abdominal pain, sleep disturbance, listlessness, pneumonia and asthma.

Eye symptons are not always present although blindness resulting from toxocariasis affects around 100 people a year and may develop four to ten years after the initial infection.

You cannot catch toxocariasis from an infected human being, only from the faeces of a infected animal.

Wash your hands after handling animals or soil and before touching food.

Tamash Lal