YOUNG artists are reminding dog owners to pick up after their pooches in Ferndown with a series of bright posters.

The images, which were selected after a competition at Parley First School, will be displayed at Poor, Parley and Ferndown Commons, where some dog owners fail to clean up their pets’ mess.

Children from years four and five designed the posters after making a visit to Poor Common with rangers from the East Dorset Countryside Management Service.

Although the pupils had come to learn about the heathland plants and wildlife, they discovered so much dog mess that they felt compelled to act.

Head John Bagwell said: “We try very hard to give the children the opportunity to learn outside, and on this occasion, the children had gone to learn about flora and fauna.

“Unfortunately, because of the amount of dog litter around, it completely distracted them and they became incredibly passionate about it, and these posters are the result of that.”

East Dorset education ranger Tracy Standish said: “The dog dirt can actually cause a change in the soil nutrients which then encourages non-heathland plants to grow at the exclusion of heathland species.

“The posters promote the damage which can be caused by letting your dog foul on the heathland, but they also highlight the enjoyment had by many on these sites, which can quickly be ruined by stepping in something unpleasant.

“We’re very grateful to the children for taking the time to share with us the importance of their local sites.”

The pupils who visited Poor Common tried their hand at four activities – pond dipping, hunting for little creatures, making a bookmark from heathland plants and finding out about reptiles.

The posters were completed in class as a follow-up to their visit, and three pupils from each of the four classes received prizes of a day’s parking pass to Moors Valley Country Park.

Many of the posters by the young artists will be displayed over the next few weeks.