Report number: 843
Date of incident: 03/05/24
Site of incident: Grid: SO8176544273 Latlng: 52.09649 -2.2676 Hanley Castle, Hanley Swan, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, England, WR8 0EE
Family group, 1 dog on lead
“We were walking on a public path, and arrived at a fork with the possibility of taking a public path in a field with no cows or another public path in a field which had cows in it. However the small bridge to the field with no cows was blocked off by a strange, thick coiled line which I thought could be electrified although there were no signs. As some of the cows were feeding and another group was in the far corner of the field I decided we should take this public path as it was tight into the side of the field and relatively short. Unfortunately, two thirds of the way across the cows caught sight of us and began to chase us. We ran and when we arrived at a single line of fence I lifted it for my children to get through only to find it was electrified and got a shock. Again no warning signs were present. After this we managed to get out of the field.
No medical help needed, but frightened and electric shocked
I think there should be warning signs for cows and electric fences and an easier way to seek recourse for incidents such as this.”
Cattle Safety 