Oh, what joy, we thought, we can take the dog for a walk along the new Exmouth to Lympstone foot and cycle path. But what greeted us at Halsdon Farm Lane entrance? A dog bin full and overflowing and, further along the line, plastic bags full of dog mess

Oh, what joy, we thought, we can take the dog for a walk along the new Exmouth to Lympstone foot and cycle path. But what greeted us at Halsdon Farm Lane entrance? A dog bin full and overflowing and, further along the line, plastic bags full of dog mess hanging from the hedges and from the wire fencing. Are people stupid or just plain selfish? We thought the whole idea of picking up after your dog was to either bin it or, if one was not available, take it home dispose of it there. We also noticed that, although there are signs requesting owners to keep their dogs on a lead, many just ignored it. Of course, it doesn't mean them, does it? They can control their dogs, which is why my sister-in-law ended up in a hedge with scratches and bruising when an irresponsible owner allowed his animal to attack her dog, which she had on the lead, and as such was pulled into the hedge. This owner did not even have the good manners to see if she was OK, making an excuse to "get his friend to give her a lift home" which he never did as he didn't return. We also noticed on our walk that some of the embankment has already eroded and allowed mud onto the path, obviously due to our wet climate. Surely, this could have been foreseen and been accounted for during construction?I also appreciate that we have to share the path with cyclists, but please let us know that you are coming up from behind at a rate of knots. Surely you can afford a bell?All in all, I feel that what was once a quiet and peaceful walk has now been taken from us locals but, if we have to share this with others, surely it is not too much to ask them to treat our beautiful surroundings with respect and consideration for others.P A Syder (Mrs),Highbury Park, Exmouth.