Appeal after dog kills sheep at Peterborough beauty spot

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Three recent incidents at the Peterborough beauty spot have resulted in the death of one of their rare breed sheep and serious injuries to others, with Natural England now reminding visitors that all dogs must be kept under control.

Following previous dog attacks on livestock the nature reserve team imposed a “no dogs” restriction on the compartment of the site that holds the livestock.

Signage and maps at the entrances allow visitors to know where these measures are enforced.

The remaining three-quarters of the site allow dogs if they are on leads or under close control, but that is now under review in light of the recent attacks.

Natural England reserve manager Tim Starsmore-Sutton said: “The grazing that our rare breed sheep carry out is vital to help keep this rare and important limestone grassland site so wildflower-rich.

“They ensure the continued survival of the habitat by preventing the grasses dominating and allow space for rare species such as pasque flower and our array of orchids to thrive.

“Sadly, whilst the majority of visitors understand this important issue, we face a minority who either cannot control their dogs or ignore our requests.

“This results in our sheep facing trauma, injury or death through being chased and attacked. It’s obviously a really distressing situation for the sheep, but it’s also devastating for our team to have to deal with the aftermath of an attack.”

If there is a dog loose in the grazing zone, Natural England is asking people to call 101 immediately and log the incident with the police before contacting the nature reserve team on 01780 444704. If an emergency is in progress, always dial 999.