A DISGRUNTLED dog walker has expressed her frustration at the condition of a park which she says is dominated by rubbish and infested with rats.

Elaine McDonough, from Harrow, has called on Harrow Council to deal with the “mess” at Boxtree Park – a space she walks through every day.

She said there are overfilled bins, which have allegedly attracted vermin, loose rubbish and a number of rough sleepers.

“It’s just a mess and it needs to be highlighted,” she said. “The bins are always full and overflowing, no one cares anymore.

“We’re all paying our taxes so why aren’t these things being checked up upon?”

Ms McDonough’s concerns extend to the children’s play area of the park, which is currently undergoing re-fencing.

She explained that those dealing with the project have introduced posts to signify where the barriers will be but are yet to put up anything more substantial.

This, she added, could lead to health and safety issues, particularly given that the park is used by a number of people to walk their dogs.

“People talk about health and safety but this is hardly safe,” she said. “It’s the school holidays now and there could end up being a serious incident.

“A lot of the dogs are loose and they’re free to charge into the play area and do their business; someone needs to keep an eye on this.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking my grandchildren there as nothing’s under control; it doesn’t look like anyone is there to oversee things.”

A spokesperson for Harrow Council said an upgrade to the fencing will be complete by the end of the week and they thanked park users for their patience.

It reiterated the need for residents to use the bins responsibly and urged anyone who sees rats on public land to report it to the Council immediately.

“We regularly clear the rubbish bins in all our parks, and you can report an overflowing bin online,” it said.

“If you have rubbish with you and the bin is already full, please do not place it near or next to a full bin. We kindly ask users to find another bin nearby or take their rubbish home with them.”

Harrow has recently been under scrutiny after a video emerged on social media showing a horde of rats climbing over bin bags in the town centre.

The clip, which sparked outrage online, was uploaded to the #Fixit Harrow Network Facebook group and was taken behind St Anns, in Greenhill Way.

Responding to the footage, Cllr Graham Henson, cabinet member for environment at Harrow Council, said: “This is a huge problem that we are addressing urgently. We are putting in more rat traps in the area and we’ll also be talking to local traders to check that they are disposing of waste properly.”