Australian visitors to the area have been disgusted at the amount of dog dirt on the streets.

In a letter to the Largs & Millport Weekly News, Mr M Nelson of George Street, Millport has called for more strictly applied fines for dog owners.

He stated: "As residents of Millport of some two and a half years, my wife and I are avid readers of the “News” and have been following the dog-poo stories with great interest.

"There is poo everywhere on the pavements and the grass in both Millport and Largs - dog poo is not only unsightly but is also dangerous and unhygienic, especially if there is poo on the beach in Kames Bay.

My mother-in-law and her partner are currently visiting us from Australia and they remarked that just walking from the train to the ferry was like traversing a minefield: of poo! " Full letter and page of views in the Largs & Millport Weekly News of September 25.