Statement Ref Dog Mess Outside One Stop

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Update: 11th May 2026

The statement below was sent by email to the local Parish Council in the early hours of 10th May 2026 and hand-delivered to One Stop as soon as they opened that day. A spokesperson from the Parish Council has since questioned my integrity, stating that some people may think it was just an excuse. I was surprised by this comment, whether it reflects her personal view, an assumption, or something repeated from others. Either way, it does not change my position.

I do not wish to publicly share details regarding my physical health or procedures I am undergoing. That information has only been shared with a very small number of people and me and my remaining family would like to deal with this privately. My medical records are the only evidence I need.

However, in light of comments I would like to offer further clarification regarding mental health. Questioning someone’s integrity around mental health is, in my view, a precarious position for a councillor to place themselves in. This could lead very easily to a safeguarding issue. We already have a significant issue with men struggling to speak openly about mental health, and comments like this are not helpful. They may understandably have their own opinions of me given recent other events, but they will not know the full scale of the trauma that has privately been occurring for me over a prolonged period.

I do understand why the comment about me being on my phone may lead some people to think this was an excuse. To provide context, when you call 111 and select option 2, you are directed to mental health services. Different areas are routed to different services. From some parts of the village, calls are routed through one county, whilst other parts route through another. My community mental health team is based within a specific county, and the out-of-hours support I use operates through the same area. Given where I was located in the village when I felt I needed support, I had spent some time frantically trying to locate a direct dial number for that service . As it is not well publicised. One county was unable to transfer me directly to the other. I was only introduced to this service on 1st September 2025 when I was attended by emergency services due to an escalated risk of harm.

I think what would be a more useful act for a Parish Councillor is to consider how information about how to access mental health support can be better communicated around the village.

Beyond that clarification, and given the councillor’s comments, I do not wish to say anything further on the matter.

I have accepted responsibility, explained the situation as best as I can without publicly sharing private details, and offered my apologies.

I have nothing further to add.

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Date: 10th May 2026

Hello.

My name is Ady. 

I am a veteran living in the village, which has been home to me for over thirty years. I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself as well as give my sincere apologies.

I am now the sole owner of two dogs that has been featured in a local Facebook post. It shows me, my dogs and dog mess on the pavement.

Please firstly accept my apologies for the act of leaving dog mess on the pavement outside one of our local stores. I have been a dog owner for over fifteen years and have been praised for my high levels of training. I have NEVER done this before in all my time. I’m usually the guy that’s walking round with two dogs, swinging full poo bags which, if necessary, I will take back to my own home.

And no, I’m not one of those d*cks that hang them in trees or leave them on walls.

But on this occasion I’ve let myself down and I’m mortified. I myself have been one of the many that have been fed up with dog mess and now I’m a culprit.

Whilst this is no excuse, I would like to offer a little context behind what happened on 9th May 2026. My mental health is extremely poor since some relentless traumatic events in my life. Professionals have described my circumstances as ‘too much for one nervous system to cope with’. I am under the care of the local community mental health team. The specific conditions I have are anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress. To complicate matters even more for me, I am also preparing for some investigations into serious physical health concerns having been quickly referred into hospital. 

Ordinarily, I do not walk my dogs when I am mentally unwell and I ensure I am focussed and safe enough to do so. On this occasion, I underestimated how unwell I felt with the pressure of recent days.  I also forgot to bring my medication bag with me. I was not concentrating on what my dogs were doing and looking at the photo I can see how vacant I looked. When I returned home, I was able to get my medication and ring for the support I needed. It wasn’t until afterwards that a couple of people shared that post with me late that evening. 

I am truly sorry for my lack of attention.

I will be making a charitable donation as an additional way to offer my apologies.