AS parish councillors prepare to help Bennett’s Recreation Ground win massive funding boosts to become a heritage site and nature reserve, a resident is appealing for people to start treating the park with respect.

Paddington man Eddie Harris was so appalled with the state of the ground after taking his grandson to play there that he called the Guardian to seek help in restoring it to its former glory.

He says he and his grandson went for a kickabout there two weeks ago and came home covered in dog mess after seeing a steady stream of dog owners allow their pets to foul the park.

“Nobody had bags to pick it up, their dogs were just pooing all over. I must have seen 20 people in 45 minutes,” he said.

Eddie, aged 42, of Northdale Road, used to be a keen rugby player at the ground, and laments the loss of the club house and bustling teams he remembers.

Plans for the site include developing a heritage trail of its RAF camp days, but no decisions have yet been made.

Funding could come from bodies such as the Environment Agency, Heritage Lottery Fund and Warrington Borough Council.

Schools and community groups in the area will be invited to have their say on the plans to try to develop a sense of ownership.

The changes came after Poulton-with-Fearnhead Parish Council commissioned an environmental survey of the area, as previously reported in the Guardian.

It found a hidden population of protected water voles, which opened up funding opportunities to protect its habitat.

The survey also uncovered much of the history of the site in its RAF days.