AN ANGRY dog walker has hit out after her pet nearly choked on a nitrous oxide canister left on Minchinhampton Common.

Dozens of canisters of the ‘laughing gas’ along with balloons and empty cans of lager were found at the beauty spot on Saturday morning.

The dog walker, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s disgusting. I had my Jack Russell off the lead and it picked up one of the canisters – my dog could have choked.

"Something needs to be done about this – youngsters shouldn’t be able to buy nitrous oxide.

"They’re putting themselves at risk of death with this stupid craze.”

With just four weeks to go until the cows are released, hayward Mark Dawkins, who oversees the day-to-day management of the common, said the canister littering is worrying.

“It is a concern,” he said.

“Cows like chewing almost anything and they could pick up canisters like these,” he said.

And Minchinhampton Parish Council chairman Cllr Nick Hurst has now issued an urgent call to litter louts.

He said: “I’d like to issue a plea to people to take their rubbish home with them.”

Cllr Hurst said that people looking for bins on the common won’t find any, so they need to take everything they brought with them at the end of their visit.

“The National Trust, which owns the common, doesn’t put rubbish bins out any more because the cows push them over,” he said.

“There was also trouble with people dumping food waste in them, which was encouraging rats.

“So now there are no bins.

“Having the common on your doorstep is a privilege, I’ve always seen it that way.

“And it’s in all of our interests to keep it litter free, so everyone can enjoy it.”

Cows will be returning to Minchinhampton Common on May 13.