[Hillview Farm]

So as many of you know early this year I suffered three dog attacks on my sheep. After putting signs up everywhere, good coverage of new papers and even a case study with the national sheep association I felt I was doing some good.

Had a lady from a BBC radio station out this morning to interview me and mid interview a man walked down a track between two of my fields. I might just add there is no foot paths In any of my fields so he had strayed into my fields knowingly by climbing a fence and once he saw me walking over the dogs went on to a lead. I walked over to him and said .'good morning sir,  I'm ever so sorry but you are not on the foot path' I then explained where it was and why I had approached followed up with my dog issues to which he replied 'listen here you cow I'm doing no harm,I've  lived in this area for 37 years and walking in those woods everyday' I then got called every naming under the sun and I had no right to approach him. This had pee'd me off..... so I told him if he didn't leave I would call the police for trespass and said the sheep have been on the farm since January and then the abuse started again and told I was a lair. The lady from the BBC came over and when he realised who she was he changed and it was like butter wouldn't melt. She interview him and he looked a fool!

Sorry for the rant but it makes  me so angry he felt he had a right to walk into my field with dogs off the lead too. Funny he didn't like me stating I am within my rights to shoot any dog seen to be worrying my sheep to which he said he was on the field checking the fencing so he could be sure his dogs wouldn't stray in from the foot path!

[Yeoman]

I hear you.  Very frustrating - particularly when so much rudeness is used along side.

There were six dead ewes at one of my neighbour's property yesterday courtesy of someone who couldn't keep their dogs under control...

[SallyintNorth]

I can only empathise. 

[Big Benny Shep]

When will people learn its not their right to walk across your property? Would he like it if you wandered through his house? I doubt it somehow, if you felt threatened get the police involved. You shouldn't have to tolerate abuse from him. My personal methods would have been different but I won't post them on here 

[Me]

Have people wandering around picking fruit, berries, stone for the garden walls, logs for the fire etc (mainly one family) when questioned they say "well you didn't want them"... hmm fair point (ignoring the question of trespass) I saw the same man mowing his lawn and throwing the grass away! I wonder if he would object to Me letting a few ewes in to graze it - he doesn't need it, doesn't even want it!!

[midtown]

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I've had a woman walking her dogs over the fields and when challenged and asked to put her dogs on leads replied; "No, your dogs aren't on leads so I see no reason for mine to be!"
Then followed the usual "I've lived here for x years and always walked these fields, etc, etc, etc ......."
After inviting her to leave, the following morning I found the gate had been left open with the post used for securing it removed and thrown to one side. Yet more expense on another high security padlock and yet another sign!

The dog owners continue to walk down the bridleway and I admire their dog training skills at getting their mutts to crap in the gateways leading to the farm or the fields, and the signs politely asking said mutt owners to clean up after their dogs, just get ignored!

I found a spent bullet case inside the the gate to one field. The same calibre as I use myself, and thinking it to be one of mine I hadn't collected, I stuck it in my pocket. Later, I looked at the case and found it to be of a make that I don't use, so contacted the police requested a call back from a member of the wildlife crime unit regarding a possible poaching/trespass with a firearm.
Later I received a visitation from a localish police officer who admitted to not being au fait with wildlife law or poaching, but felt that wildlife on my land didn't actually belong to me???
Upon asking if that meant that anyone with a firearm could freely and legally shoot over my land, why is it recorded with the firearms licensing department, I am the sole owner of the shooting rights, and nobody other than myself is permitted to shoot?
At this point, the officer decided it might be best if the matter was reported to a superior for guidance on how to proceed!!!!!!
I'm still awaiting the result of the "guidance"! 

If folk think these are isolated incidents, one only has to look at the comments accompanying articles in the Wildlife/Environment/Rural/Hunting/Conservation/Farming sections of the Guardian newspaper on-line.
We live in a world where there is an ever increasing number who target anyone who farms (at any level), breeds animals for food (at any level), owns land (doesn't matter how big or small), kills, traps, (or even thinks about doing) any vermin species in order to protect ones own stock, forbids anyone to dog walk or forage or wail to the moon on your own land - on the grounds the land aint yours anyway, it belongs to everyone!!!!!

My advice is to arm yourself with a copy of a good book covering countryside law (Fair Game by Charlie Parker & John Thornley covers trespass very well). Apart from being able to recite the relevant acts to those who think 'they have a right' and your own legal position, sometimes you might find you can 'advise' the police and refer them to the correct legal reference!

[Bramblecot]

Re the above .  This is why we have taken the sad step of putting heavy chains and padlocks on the gates to each field.  It feels so mean but I can't risk attacks on the sheep.

Last week I looked out of the kitchen window to see a ruddy JR charging round the garden with a in it's mouth.  And I had been blaming the fox for our losses.    The owner only had the cheek to ask me if he could buy some eggs as there were none in our honesty box 

[Tiva Diva]

At least your dog walking prat's timing was good, just a shame the bbc weren't filming too! It's a perennial problem. We've put (hidden) trail cameras out and signs saying that there are cameras, partly because of dog walkers and partly litter louts. Up here in Scotland there is the right to roam, and some people don't or won't understand that doesn't mean their dog can run around uncontrolled.
Hope you don't have any more attacks! And let us know if/when the bbc broadcast that bit!

[Liam_86]

Hillview - Is your interview going to be on TV/Radio? wouldnt mind catching that

[Hillview Farm]

It's BBC Surrey radio 104.6. Airing on Mondays breakfast show but I believe they have a podcast.

We have signs in the said wood saying we have camera that catch any worrying. So he has no excuse to not knowing  of the sheep as they have been in place sign before June. Makes me so cross and I cannot believe the story about the shot gun on your land mid town.  Sadly it was just recording and no filming but she made him look stupid.

[midtown]

Makes me so cross and I cannot believe the story about the shot gun on your land mid town.

If it had been a shotgun cartridge, there would have been a chance of at least hearing the report of the trigger being pulled. Unfortunately, it was a bullet case of a calibre fairly commonly used in a rifle fitted with a sound moderator. To make matters worse, the police declined to take the 'evidence' of the bullet case away with them!

What's the answer? God only knows!
"Farm Watch" signs get destroyed. At one time we used signs stating; "Keep Out! Rabbit Gassing In Progress", but to do so now risks the wrath of the 'fluffies'!
Gates are a problem. Yes, we chain and padlock them, but as we all know they aren't an effective barrier against anyone who can climb a ladder!
I'm currently trying a new approach by trimming the boundary hedge using the cuttings to bulk out the base of the boundary and block possible access through the weaker vulnerable areas, also enlarging the boundary ditch and adding more barbed wire on my side of the boundary.

Field gates, locked or not, will always present a weak point for access as they're easily breached.

I look forward to trying to catch your interview Hillview Farm. It should be available via this link;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcsurrey/programmes/schedules/2014/09/15

[Louise Gaunt]

With regard to field gates, I know it is a risk to livestock, but would wrapping barbed wire round the top bar be a suitable deterrent to the determined climber?

[Hillview Farm]

Thank you for that link! !

[midtown]

With regard to field gates, I know it is a risk to livestock, but would wrapping barbed wire round the top bar be a suitable deterrent to the determined climber?

Yes, the simplest remedy and one I've considered. I was then informed that liability for any injury sustained could be a problem, especially as the gates leading into the fields are on a public bridleway;

Section 164 Highways Act 1980, says that where, on land adjoining a highway, there is a fence made with barbed wire in or on it and the wire is a nuisance to the highway, a notice may be issued by the Local Authority for the nuisance to be removed.
Being a nuisance means that it is likely to cause injury to people or animals using the highway.

And of course, a bridleway is a public right of way just like any other 'highway'.
Occupiers of premises including land have a duty of care, to people entering or using their property. This duty even extends to trespassers, although it is not as extensive as it is to people lawfully using or visiting. So a trespasser, who could not be aware that barbed wire was on top of a gate and injured himself on it, could have a claim against the land owner despite the fact that he was a trespasser.
Likewise, a non-trespasser or someone simply injuring themself while 'leaning on and looking over the gate ( ) without any apparent intent to enter, could have a possible claim - and in today's litigious society ......

Having said all that, personally I can't see any difference in having barbed wire fence either side of the gate - or elsewhere for that matter, yet running it around the top bars of a gate all of a sudden presents problems.

[ladyK]

The rudeness of some people is just unbelievable!... I'd be livid too, HF.
At least he got to look stupid on the radio.