Vandals put traffic and livestock at risk by cutting electric fences on Malvern Hills

Vandals put traffic and livestock at risk by cutting electric fences on Malvern Hills

1:20pm Friday 2nd May 2014 in News

1814585201. Conservation officer with the Malvern Hills Conservators Beck Baker next to one of the electric cattle fences, that vandals have been cutting. Picture by Nick Toogood.

VANDALS cutting electric fences on the Malvern Hills are putting livestock and the public at risk, say Conservators.

Over recent days, electric fences have been cut twice, allowing sheep grazing the hills to escape from their enclosures.

And a water bowser which supplies drinking water for the animals was drained. The incidents all happened on the hills between the Wyche and British Camp.

Grazing was reintroduced on the Malvern Hills by Conservators several years ago, to help preserve the characteristic acid grassland landscape.

The fences prevent to stock from wandering onto local roads and posing a hazard to traffic, but the policy attracted criticism, with some people objecting to even temporary fences on the open hills.

Stephen Bound, director of Malvern Hills Conservators said: "We can't know for certain why this is being done. It could just be mindless vandalism. It could be someone angry because their dog had got a shock from the fence - I've seen that happen elsewhere. Or is could be someone who object to the grazing policy or the fences.

"I would urge whoever is cutting the fences to stop and think about their actions. They are endangering road users and livestock and this vandalism could have very serious consequences.

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Vandals put traffic and livestock at risk by cutting electric fences on Malvern Hills