A COLEMORE farmer has been left angered by laws that allow him to shoot a dog worrying sheep – but not a drone maliciously targeting a flock of pregnant ewes.
Albert Carter of Slade Farm was delivering hay to the ewes in fields near the Rod Gaskin farm machinery dealership between Hawkley and Colemore when he noticed the sheep were distressed.
Albert said: “They were stirred up, running in circles, it looked like a dog attack so I went into the field, but it turned out it was a drone.
“Now you can shoot a dog that’s attacking sheep, but apparently you can’t shoot a drone that’s being used to harass, scare and distress them.
“Dogs can’t help themselves, but a drone has to be guided onto a flock, it’s malicious, which is worse I think.
“This was deliberate and is liable to cause problems with the ewes.
“If you can shoot a dog, I can’t see why you can’t do the same to a drone.
“I’m not really sure what you can do to stop a drone.”
The ewes are owned by Philip Madgwick of Vinnels Farm in Froxfield and a ram is in with them; there’s no doubt some are pregnant says Albert, who helps look after them.
Drones can only be flown over private land with the owner’s permission.
Rem Moser of Field Farm at Colemore owns the fields and says no one has asked her if they could fly there.
Staff at the dealership on Windmill Farm in Colemore Lane told Albert two people had been flying a drone locally and over the field on and off for the past week, and they were spotted earlier that day in a layby near Copse Farm at Priors Dean.
Now the National Farmers Union (NFU) says it plans to raise the matter at the next rural crime meeting with police, who have been notified about the incident.
Drones are covered under Air Navigation Order policy.
An NFU spokesman said: “There are legitimate worries they may bother livestock, intentionally or otherwise.”
A person must not recklessly or negligently cause an aircraft to endanger people or property, which should cover livestock as they fall into the property category, the spokesman added.