A father has told of his anger after his little boy picked up a handful of stones – and dog muck – from the beach.

The three-year-old was playing with the pebbles on Monday afternoon when he ran over to his dad in tears.

Nigel Harris, who lives on Fisherman’s Beach, said: “My son loves throwing stones into the sea and it’s really peaceful there.

“He sat down near me to look at some empty crab shells and then he came running over to me with poo all over his hands crying.

“I went over to where he had sat hoping it was just mud that resembled poo, but found a large pile of dog faeces.

“Looking him over, it then became obvious that he had it all over his trousers, shoes, even on his socks.”

The pair ran back to the nearby apartment where the boy was bathed and his clothes were put in the wash.

Mr Harris, 31, said: “Because it was on his hands, it was then in his hair.

“I am really angry that there are people out there who don’t think about who else might use the beach.

“I am not saying ban dogs entirely, but there should be some sort of control or consequence for people who don’t pick up.”

Shepway District Council’s (SDC) website has a page where people can report acts of dog fouling.

It asks for an exact location of where the mess has been seen and if it is an ongoing problem in that area.

Dogs are also not allowed on certain sections of beaches in the district between May 1 and September 30.

In Hythe, the section they cannot access during this time is the stretch between Twiss Road to St Leonard’s Road. This excludes the section of beach Mr Harris and his son were at when the incident happened.

A statement from SDC’s dog owner’s guide says: “Please remember that poop scoop laws apply on all beaches at all times. No one should have to dodge the dog mess when they are out and about in our district.

“Not only is it unpleasant but dog mess can transmit the disease Toxocara Canis to humans.”

The penalty for failing to pick up your pet’s poo is £80.