VISITORS to Petersfield Heath are being reminded to keep their dogs on a lead when walking near the pond.

The plea comes after a mute swan nesting close to the bank near the Sussex Road car park was disturbed, and abandoned its nest and eggs.

It’s thought likely that the bird was attacked by a dog.

A spokesman for the Friends of Petersfield Heath said: “The cause of the disturbance has not been identified, but dogs may be the culprits.

“I would ask that for the sake of the wildfowl, dog walkers walking their pets alongside the pond keep their pets on a lead, not just now, but all year round.”

It is hoped that a brush barrier put up to protect the swans’ nest by Petersfield ornithologists Alf Smallbone and Robin Hart, will ensure a recent second clutch of eggs will hatch successfully.

Last autumn a dog was seen chasing a swan close to the Plump Duck cafe, and another dog was witnessed swimming after a swan in the pond – both birds escaped unscathed.

Many of the waterfowl on the Heath nest close to, or even on, the pond’s banks.

As they are used to being fed by visitors, they aren’t nervous of humans, and are potentially an easy target for free-running dogs.