Serious Injuries – Cattle Safety

Lancashire cattle cause significant injuries

Case No. 1155

Date of Incident 16 06 2025

Location On PROW Higham, Lancashire

1 walker, 1 dog on lead

Cows with calves, heifers and bullocks – brown

Account “I was suddenly surrounded and tried to pull the dog in but then it all kicked off. I don’t remember everything but was I knocked onto the ground and eventually let go of the lead when I realised I was in real trouble. I remember being butted while on the ground but don’t actually remember how I get away. I had 3 broken ribs, facial injuries, leg injuries and was kept in hospital for 1 week.”

Respondent also states “Don’t put crazy cows in open access areas.”

Cow attack on Bronte Moorland in Yorkshire

Incident number: 1135
Date of incident: 17.02.24
Site: The Bronte way above Leeming Reservoir in Oxenhope, West Yorkshire
2 people, 1 dog.

Report: “I was walking with my friend and we spotted the cows lying down on the moor above us to the right of the path. We moved over, putting a broken wall between ourselves and the cows. We didn’t see any calves. My dog was further away to the left. One cow stood up and charged through a gap in the wall and went for the dog who ran off. It then turned and knocked me to the ground. Hitting me with its head and stamping its feet. Our dog returned to me and the cow went for her again. I staggered down the hill. I turned around to check what was happening and the cow charged at me again. It knocked me down. I curled up in a ball, thinking I was going to die. My friend stood and shouted and eventually the cow went back to the others. I staggered to the nearest road and was taken by ambulance to hospital.”

“I sustained : 7 broken ribs, a large hematoma on my right leg and a punctured lung. I was in Airedale hospital for three days. We found out later that 3 cows had calves on the moor the night before the attack. The health and safety executive were informed and the farmer has admitted liability.”

“I thoroughly agree that cows should not be on public footpaths.“

Attack near Belstone – the situation with dangerous cows in this area is long-standing.

Response ID 310,634,018
Report number: 1057

Date of attack: 2/10/18

Location: Sticklepath, near Okehampton, Devon. It’s a footpath from Sticklepath to Belstone along the river (Skaigh valley)

Report: “I was walking with 3 dogs and saw a cow coming towards me, so I got off the main path with the dogs to give the cow room to get past. As it was going past it suddenly turned & headbutted me in the chest , I fell to the ground & she started trampling , pushing & kicking me, I thought I was going to die. I lay still & eventually (probably not as long as it felt) she wondered off. There is always someone around, but not that day. I think adrenaline got me up, back to the car with the dogs & I drove home. Once there I told my partner & 2 girls & then I seized up. They took me to A&E and I was immediately admitted. I remained in hospital for nearly 2 weeks as I had 7 broken ribs, punctured lung & lots of abrasions ( later found I had kidney disease & the trauma had affected that too) whilst in hospital I got pneumonia too so I was a mess.”

“It wasn’t investigated because apparently the cows have grazing rights on the moor (including this area) & several farmers have their cows there so didn’t know whose cow it was.“

“My main concern is that I nearly died & I didn’t do anything wrong or anything to cause what happened to me. I’m still not right & never will be the same again , yet there is no compensation or comeback. That is surely not right. My partner went to the police but nothing happened.”

Killer Cows comment: Grazing rights do not give a grazier right to graze dangerous animals, the grazier is responsible for that cow and its behaviour – but how do individuals know who’s cattle trample them – there should be a joint liability of graziers for this area.

Father’s quality of life severely impacted after a cattle attack nr Chipping Norton

Response ID 308,967,877

Report number: 1036

Date of attack: 15/08/24

Location: Chipping Norton – on a popular public footpath through a field to the left of the London Road as you come into town.

Report: “On 15th August, my 83yr old father was found seriously injured and trampled by cows on a public footpath near Chipping Norton. That accident has fundamentally changed his life. He regularly walked that path through the field by himself as part of his usual 4 mile route. There were sometimes cows in the field – which he simply ignored. On the day of the accident, we don’t know exactly what happened as he doesn’t remember it (nor the following 11 days when he was in hospital). At c. 3.30 in the afternoon he was seen by the farmer’s wife, who sent the farmer out to investigate. It was obvious he was badly hurt, and he was taken to A&E by ambulance. Due to his lack of consciousness and subsequent confusion, I was not called until c. 9.30 that night. When I got to A&E I discovered he had been trampled, resulting in major injuries.”

Serious Injuries and an A and E visit

Incident number: 999

Response ID: 307,458,142

Date of incident: 24.07.24

Location: St Johns in the Vale, Near Keswick Cumbria (What 3 words beads.successes.goodness)

Status: Loan walker with dog on lead on PRW

Mark’s story

“Had been unable to locate the end of the planned public path and so had to follow another public path onto the valley floor and along the side of St John Beck north east of Thirlmere reservoir. After passing through a field with cattle entered another field and after passing a heard of approx. 16 – 18 cattle roughly have adult half calf’s I looked back an noticed they were starting to follow me. This then developed into a gallop with one adult at the front heading towards me. I moved over from the path to an area of reeds and water thinking if I get across they wouldn’t follow but before I got much further the front cow dropped down as I had already slipped down and then crashed into me. It’s head into my left side and I believe one of its knees into my leg”

Mark sustained two broken ribs and tibia plateau fracture in my his leg.

Marks adds “I would like to see improvements in public path signage and maintenance. At the end of the day I would not have had to enter this field to get back to my starting point if the path I wanted which was on the other side of a stone wall with no cattle could of been located.”

Hugh’s story – Airlifted from the scene

“Land with footpaths crossing it should not contain cattle”

It was the 24^th of June 2023. I was staying in a cottage in Snowdonia with a friend.

We were jogging quietly along the track that led up to our holiday cottage. With no warning two cows ran from behind at us, and as they came from behind we did not even know they were there.

My friend managed to escape by jumping a wall, in the process injuring his knee which needed stitches. I slipped as I ran and fell. One cow attacked me causing serious injuries.

I was airlifted from the scene and spent two weeks on a major trauma ward. I had fractured ribs that caused a pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity,) a fractured spine, a fractured jaw, a leg laceration (massive wound in the leg,) multiple bruising and a lumbar hernia. I am off work while I recover from these injuries.

We subsequently discovered that there were cows with calves in the field. We did not have a dog, our attack was completely unprovoked.

The attack was reported to the farmer who was unhelpful and unsympathetic.

I believe that land with footpaths crossing it should not contain cattle.

289,043,524 incident number 761