'Distressing' footage captured of dog on the loose frightening cattle

Footage of a loose dog frightening cattle at a Chichester nature reserve has been described as 'distressing' by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The video was captured by a passerby at RSPB Pagham Harbour and Medmerry.

The charity which runs the site is asking owners to keep pets under control and stick to footpaths.

A spokesperson from the RSPB said: "It's very distressing to see dogs worrying cattle like this.

Watch: Passerby captures footage of dog worrying cattle

"We ask all visitors to ensure that dogs are kept under control, to stay on the paths and to follow signage around sensitive breeding areas on the beach while visiting."

There has been a big rise in the number of farm animals being attacked by dogs, according to new figures from NFU Mutual.

Last year, across the UK, farm animals worth an estimated £1.3m were attacked by dogs - an increase of more than 10% on 2019.

Farmers have been putting pressure on the government to give the police greater power to  track down the owners of dogs that attack livestock, with Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith supporting a bill.