NORTH Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin has said in his new year message that new legislation will help protect the county's farmers if dogs attack livestock.

New measures to crack down on livestock worrying in England and Wales through the Kept Animals Bill are currently going through parliament.

The Government said that with improved powers, police will be able to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively – making it easier for them to collect evidence and, in the most serious cases, seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further incidents

Livestock worrying is when a dog attacks or chases livestock on agricultural land or is at large in a field with sheep, which can result in significant injury or suffering and in the worst cases, death of the animals involved.

The Government said this also has devastating consequences for livestock keepers, causing personal distress as well as significant financial costs.

And for Mr Wiggin, Conservative MP for North Herefordshire, he said he "wholly welcomed" part two of the bill, which relates to dogs attacking or worrying livestock.

Bill Wiggin MP

Bill Wiggin MP

"This will protect our hard-working farmers from incurring financial costs and ease the burden of uncertainty," he said in his new year message to constituents.

"This is sadly a regular occurrence in North Herefordshire and something that causes great distress to both the animals and of course farmers who care deeply for their livestock."

When the bill was introduced to the House of Commons in June, farming minister Victoria Prentis said: "Growing up on a farm, and having suffered from a dog attack at home, I know first-hand the devastating effect of livestock worrying and the distress that it causes farmers and animals as well as the financial implications.

"We are cracking down on this issue by introducing new laws to tackle this offence and giving police more powers to act on reports of livestock worrying."

The estimated cost of dog attacks on farm animals in the first quarter of 2021 rose by a staggering 50 per cent, according to figures published by NFU Mutual.

The driving force behind the rise appeared to be the rise in dog ownership and walking in the countryside during the Covid-19 lockdowns, the National Farmers Union said, along with a lack of awareness about how dogs behave around livestock.

According to the Mutual, numbers started to rise sharply last year.

During 2020, farm animals worth an estimated £1.3m were attacked by dogs – an increase of more than 10 per cent on 2019.

NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts said: “Dog attacks on livestock are horrific and can have a massive impact on farm businesses, both practically but also emotionally for a farming family.

"I’m pleased to see the government taking clear action to strengthen the law in this area to give police more powers and tackle a growing issue for farmers as dog ownership increases.

“We would like to see the government go further in this area and implement increased fines. This can act as an appropriate deterrent and would also reflect the financial loss to the farm business as a result of an attack."