Victoria Park is delightful and Frome is very lucky. However, it is constantly spoiled by some dog owners who appear not to take responsibility for their dogs. Their preference to dogs over people is shown by letting their dogs run uncontrolled among other people; and failing to pick up their dogs' faeces.

I listened with horror to the news on Saturday, January 21, that a six-year-old child in a park in London had part of her ear bitten off by a dog and sustained injuries to her neck and shoulder. People have been bitten badly in Victoria Park. These are not isolated cases.

Dog bites and dog faeces carry diseases. Dog faeces is particularly obnoxious for both adults and children to have on their shoes, clothing and in some cases hands.

The list of diseases is endless.

Sometimes, I have had to form a barrier between my grandchildren and yapping dogs, while the owners tell me they are only being friendly. The owner of the dog who bit a woman's arm last year in Victoria Park apparently denied is was her dog's fault. I expect the woman victim put her arm in the dog's mouth and forced it to bite her!

A first step to control this menace would be to reinstate the notices in the park reminding people of their responsibilities – i.e. to pick up their dogs' faeces and to keep their dogs on leads at all times. There are many other places in and around Frome to exercise dogs off their leads.

I would like to add that I am a dog lover, having kept dogs for 16 years when my children were younger, but they were never exercised in parks.

We must fight for more control of dogs in parks and other public places before extremely serious incidents occur.

JILL MILLER

Rossiters Hill, Frome