THANK-you the Review for representing those of us who live in the Forest and have concerns about the growing boar population. By actually speaking to local people it is clear no-one is paying attention to these concerns and this is the reason the Hogwatch group has been established.

Local press has somewhat arrogantly been accused of misrepresenting the problem by publishing letters from anonymous writers and it is true, there have been many letters published in the Review complaining about the boar, but very few of these have been anonymous. Pro-boar groups claim the general public is being misled by the press and Forestry Commission, so it will probably come as a huge surprise to them that most of us are actually quite capable of forming our own opinions based on our experiences, and find this somewhat patronising attitude unhelpful and obstructive.

That there are large numbers of boar is a certainty. The evidence is all around us, the damage plain to see. There is barely a roadside verge left untouched, that being the damage we can see. They clearly are not only residing deep in the Forest and seeing or meeting boar is not the rare occurrence it once was. The public debate about actual numbers is merely a distraction from the fact that there are too many boar for the Forest to sustain, particularly alongside the various recreational activities for which it is best known.

Fencing which is good enough to contain livestock is proving not to be up to the job of keeping boar out. We have received reports of significant damage in Ellwood caused by boar breaking into fields being grazed by sheep and horses, unsettling the resident animals, with the resulting damage significantly restricting grazing. The fencing will need to be reinforced or replaced – who pays? The landowner should not be liable, the fencing was perfectly adequate for the job it was designed to do.

The sweeping dismissal of damage from diggings as 'just a bit of grass' is unreasonable and unacceptable. Friends of the Boar have announced they intend helping those subjected to digging – perhaps then, to ensure a swift and effective response they would be good enough to publish a contact telephone number. The longer the damage is left unattended the less likely the repair will be successful.

Dogs have been exercised in the Forest for decades with few problems until the boar arrived and the accusation that more and more dogs being injured is due to irresponsible dog ownership is simply not true.

Hogwatch has received many reports from dog walkers who have had encounters with boar whilst walking in the Forest and most of these have been peaceful and without incident. Many comments are to the effect that it is not easy to spot boar in the overgrown brambles and ferns. What is also emerging is the fact that, unless there are young involved, the boar have not run away but have stayed where they were.

Many dog owners feel it is no longer safe to walk their dogs in the Forest and are going elsewhere. It is unfortunate they are feeling marginalised – this vibrant, recreational landscape is for all to enjoy, the majority doing so responsibly. Unsurprisingly a lot of locals have expressed their concerns over meeting any large, fast-moving,unpredictable, allegedly short-sighted, potentially dangerous animals when going about their daily lives.

The Forestry Commission is responsible for the management of the boar and must be contacted when experiencing problems. However, the person responsible rarely answers his phone and, if leaving a message, you will not necessarily know it has been received or acted upon.

Hogwatch Forest of Dean is a Facebook page which has been established so that local people can publicly record boar activity. If you do not use Facebook please email hogwatch.fod@hotmail. co.uk and we will add your comments to the page. We will summarise the information on a regular basis and forward it to the Forestry Commission and to the local press.

– Hogwatch Forest of Dean.