Horse riders are being blamed for spoiling a popular cycleway and footpath by failing to clean up the mess left by their mounts.

Innerleithen Community Council is planning to write to stable owners to complain about the failure to clear up dung on the Tweed Valley Railway Path.

The rocking bridge at the eastern end of Cardrona tends to be one of the worst affected areas as for safety reasons riders are supposed to dismount, “The riders are not kicking away the dung as agreed. It’s just left lying and it’s disgusting,” said community councillor Neil Andrew.

“If dog owners failed to clear up the mess left by their animals we’d be up in arms, but horse riders get away with it.

“I’m sure they know what their horses are doing as they take them across the bridge. It’s in their code of conduct and they must be told they’ve got to clean up.” Jim Calder, the community council vice chairman, added: “Why should people on bikes and buggies have to go through all of that - even if we confront them it doesn’t seem to do much good.

“It concerns me because just up the road we have a big hotel and this might put off tourists and other people when they are using the path.” His colleague Neil Cummings added: “This is something that needs to be taken seriously - wherever they do it, it’s quite abhorrent.”