A LANDOWNER has urged dog walkers to be more careful after sheep on his property were mauled or killed in recent months.

Charlie Forbes Adam, who owns and co-manages Skipwith Common Nature Reserve, near Selby, with Natural England, said ten sheep had been killed or maimed by dogs there in the last 12 months.

Hundreds of Hebridean sheep graze on the open areas in Skipwith Common, and help keep the scrub manageable, but Mr Adam said he was disappointed that some dog walkers still allowed their pets to roam free.

He said: "It is so very upsetting that even now some dog owners just cannot - or refuse to - understand. We must remember that all our dogs have been bred from wolves and any dog, however kind a pet, is still an animal and has it in them to turn predator.

"Often the sheep aren’t killed outright, but just maimed. They suffer agonies until they are put out of their misery. I simply cannot understand why some dog owners ignore the signs to keep their dogs on leads and allow this to happen. It is not just the sheep who are affected by these roaming dogs.

"Much of the habitat for ground-nesting birds is also destroyed. We have tried to prevent this by establishing a 10-acre fenced dog-run just outside the reserve where dogs can run around to their hearts’ content, but some dog walkers take no notice."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said the force was "aware of a number of incidents" across North Yorkshire of sheep being killed by dogs, adding: "Particularly at this time of year, we urge walkers to keep their dogs on leads and under control."

PC Jeremy Walmsley, a Wildlife Crime Officer with the force, said: "We live in a beautifully rural area and have many dog walkers who enjoy the country walks.

"However, the reality is that sheep being worried by loose dogs causes issues not just for the animals and the farmer but also for other walkers who come across the bodies of sheep who have been attacked and then left to suffer a slow and painful death."

To report dogs worrying livestock, phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.