Speed causing moor deaths

Herald reporter Rebecca Ricks ventures out on to Dartmoor with the police, and discovers the disturbing truth about animal road deaths.

AS New Year dawns, drivers are being warned not to take risks this winter.

I spent a morning on patrol with PC Tracey Duggan-Swift.

As we ventured across a very misty Dartmoor, PC Duggan-Swift said one of their recurring problems is the number of animals being hit by drivers and left to "suffer".

"People are driving too fast. It's 40mph and the signs are on the road so there's no excuse.

"It's the cattle sheep and ponies - we are getting a lot of ponies hit and they are often just left to suffer. It is a reportable accident by law you have to report it."

Earlier this month The Herald reported how farmer David Skelley has lost 11 animals in as many weeks to speeding drivers.

PC Duggan-Swift, who is stationed at Tavistock, explained that animals including cattle, sheep, goats, mules, ponies horses and dogs are classed as property - hence why it is a legal obligation to report any incidents involving such animals.

The constable said she recently attended a collision at Postbridge between a car and a cow which "obliterated" the front of the vehicle involved.

"This two-year-old breeding Heifer was killed which cost £1,200 because it was breeding livestock. It was the second one hit in two days. My colleague came across a dead pony at Cadover Bridge which hadn't been reported. The injuries were so significant it must have caused significant damage to the vehicle - the cow the other night completely obliterated a Ford Mondeo which is a big family car.

"This pony wasn't found until a couple of days later and because it wasn't reported it couldn't be given any treatment. Her injuries were so bad it wasn't like she had just walked into the road. Another problem was the pony had a foal and someone then had to make sure the foal was ok.

"I don't know if it's because people aren't aware but they should be - we all passed the Highway Code."

Animals were a hot topic for the police constable who explained that loose dogs were distressing farm animals up on the moor. Her warning was clear as she explained that farmers do have the right to shoot dogs terrorising their animals.

"We've had a lot of calls from members of the public which is good and we encourage it, but people are bringing their dogs over and letting them worry the animals. Dogs are attacking sheep and farmers have the right to shoot dogs. Dogs must be on a lead - it's an offence not to."

But it's not just the animals hit or attacked on the moors which are causing problems.

"A lot of it is due to speed. The majority of the public are very good and it only takes one person to put their foot down and their could be catastrophic consequences," PC Duggan-Swift added.

"The speed limits are there for a reason. Just because it says 60mph doesn't mean you have to drive at 60mph. People don't adapt their driving to the conditions of the weather. From Plymouth the weather on the moors can be two or three degrees cooler.

"We get people come up from Plymouth, Ivybridge and further afield for the snow and we encourage that but it's important people are prepared for the conditions."

Boy racers have also proved to be an issue for the police - one of the hot spots being the former airfield at RAF Harrowbeer.

As we drove into the old airfield there were dozens of tyre tracks in amongst the sheep suggesting cars had been driven at speed in and amongst the animals.

"There's a lot of cattle and sheep up there and they are doing wheel spins and 'donuts' - they will be dealt with and prosecuted," she said.

Driving around the disused airfield, the former PCSO spots a pile of what looks like builder's rubbish just dumped on the grass.

"Fly-tipping is a huge problem which is another reason why we are actively patrolling. I will have to go back to the station now to report this and we will get someone out to try and see what evidence they can gather. Often there are clues like letters with addresses so we can track down and prosecute whoever had done this."

During the morning we covered Tavistock, Crapstone, Princetown, Burrator, Dousland, Horrabridge, Yelverton and Whitchurch.

To my amazement, this was only around a third of the Tavistock 'patch'.