'Horrendous' sheep-worrying attacks leave farmer thousands out of pocket

David Williams, a sheep farmer, told ITV News' Richard Payne livestock worrying can cost farmers thousands

A farmer is imploring people to keep their dogs on leads while walking in the countryside following a series of "horrendous" attacks on his flock.

David Williams, a sheep farmer in Gloucestershire, has lost around 50 sheep to livestock worrying in the last eight years.

Mr Williams said he worries about the risk of attacks, which can have devastating consequences for the business.

"The money we've got tied up in this thing is unbelievable. It's £200 for a ewe and a lamb. That's basically the bottom line. And if you lose a few, you're soon into the thousands," he explained.

According to recent data, the South West was the worst-hit region by cost for dog attacks on livestock last year.

The data from NFU Mutual revealed that the loss of livestock cost farmers in the region an estimated £359,000 in 2023.

Mr Williams said he wants more people to take responsibility for their dogs while walking in the countryside.

"People have their dogs and go for a walk in the country, and they walk where they like, do what they like, and when you challenge them, you are the worst person in the world," he said.

"Livestock worrying," which includes dogs attacking, chasing, and barking at sheep, is already illegal.

Gloucestershire Police has launched a new campaign encouraging the public to keep dogs on a lead in farmland to stop them from chasing livestock.

Operation Recall aims to educate the public on the impact of livestock worrying and is being backed by animal welfare charities.

Sarah Carr, Chief Executive of Naturewatch Foundation, said it's a problem which has been getting worse due to the huge increase in dog ownership during the pandemic.

"Now these dogs are two, three, four years old, that's when you get the issues. They haven't had that socialisation, they haven't had any experience of how they should be behaving," she explained.

"It's the owner's responsibility to make sure they put their dog on a lead if they go into a field, and they see free-roaming animals."