Incident number: 942
Response ID: 306,604,784
Date: 31.05.24
Location: llandiloes Gwestyn Map reference SN887861 approx.
Two incidents in the same place. In both incidents I was walking on my own without a dog.
1. Walked from a public footpath north east of Gwestyn onto the bridleway leading west from Gwestyn. Cattle in the field with the bridleway came running at speed towards me and started to crowd round me. I ran at them and they ran away but came back again. After two or three further attempts to run at them I had to climb a barbed wire fence into another field to escape them. I cut my hand and ripped my trousers on the barbs.
2. A different day, walking east south east from Gwestyn on same bridleway. The cattle were further east from Gwestyn on this occasion. Same problem again. They came running at me, gathering round. I had to climb barbed wire again to get into the next field.
Our reporter says “It should not be legal to keep cattle in the same field as a public right of way. It’s no good specifying breeds etc. There have been too many accidents and near misses. It is too terrifying and lots of people I know will simply not enter a field where there are cattle, meaning they are prevented from using their legal right to walk on any right of way they choose. Farmers should be forced to fence off sections of path or put electronic collars on cattle that control where they can go. Or could hand held cattle scaring devices be developed just like the anti dog devices you used to be able to buy that are (sadly) not seen any more?”
Cattle Safety 