IS this the end for the Forest sheep?
Eight hundred years of tradition is being threatened by the latest
"lift" of the animals from various points in the Forest.
It will be weeks, perhaps months, before the dust settles but as the war
of words hots up those involved – the council and the police on one side
and the Commoners' Association and sheep badgers on the other – seem
miles apart.
The questions were coming thick and fast. Was the "lift" legal? If so
why was Section 155 of the Highways Act not implemented to combat the
problem in towns and villages years ago?
Asked to comment on whether or not last Friday's round-up was the
beginning of the end for the sheep, a council official said: "People can
read into it what they like. A police spokesman said the multi-agency
group "mean business...we intend to ensure that nuisance and problems
from sheep are reduced once and for all."
For the Commoners' Association chairman Mr Donald Johns would only say
that legal opinion was being sought. "We are keeping our powder dry for
the moment," he added.
But other parties have been more forthcoming. The Review has received
telephone calls from a number of people upset by the scale of the
catch-up operation. Several questioned the cost.
Predictably, sheep owners have been up in arms. They are questioning the
legality of the operation and say they have every right to run their
sheep within the statutory Forest.
Lambing
They complained that the operation was heavy-handed and should not have
been carried out so close to lambing time. "They harp on about cruelty
but this operation must have caused terrible stress on ewes so close to
lambing. It was a shambles," said one.