A NEW fence stopping people from using a playing field has sparked controversy.

The fence has been put up at the Barbican Playing Field in Looe.

Looe Town Football Club has erected the fence after taking on responsibility for the field from Cornwall Council.

The move has been met with protests from dog walkers and others who have freely used the field over the years.

One dog owner, Janet Chaston, says in a letter to the Cornish Times this week: 'A public place, for generations, for recreational use has now been made private. Locals are up in arms.'

The football club says it has always had problems with inconsiderate dog owners never cleaning up after their pets.

Bill Horsfield, the club's secretary/treasurer, said: 'Before matches, we have to go around the ground removing copious amounts of dog faeces with a shovel we keep especially for the job.

'It is disgusting and we used to complain to Cornwall Council about it when we were renting the land. There are dog litter bins behind the changing rooms. Some dog owners pick up their animal's mess, but a lot do not and some have been aggressive to us when confronted.'

He said that after two years of negotiation the club has now signed a 25-year lease for the ground and it will be responsible for its upkeep and maintenance.

Mr Horsfield said the fence, completed last week at a cost to the club of £3,500, is a controversial topic around the town and on social networking sites, but the club had been given support by Cornwall Council to erect it.

He said the club had no alternative other than the action it had taken because Looe Town FC is an FA Charter Status Club which means it is responsible for the health and well-being of junior players, and it hopes to get community status next year.

Cornwall councillor Armand Toms described the situation as 'regrettable'. He said: 'If the dog owners had behaved properly there would be no issue.

'I am currently talking to the club to see if some recreational access can be arranged for the local community at the end of the football season.'

In a new twist, police have been informed after vandals superglued the padlocks on both the entrance gates to the field. This hampered teams scheduled to play.