Police calling on dog owners to help protect park wildlife

Police are advising dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead while out at Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent, to help prevent attacks on the estate's livestock and wildlife.

In recent months, the Estate says there have been a number of attacks by dogs in the area. One involved a wild herd of black fallow deer at Monument Hill. Another at the same place saw a sheep killed by a dog, and three other sheep were worried in the event field, which dogs off leads were able to get into.

Police officers are in the North Park of the estate this morning, along with estate gamekeepers, speaking to dog walkers, speaking to the public and handing out leaflets.

Trentham Estate says it is very dog friendly, with thousands of dogs and there owners enjoying walks there every year. Bosses say there is a strict 'dogs on lead' policy throughout the estate though, to protect wildlife and livestock, and they say they are very grateful to everyone who adheres to it.