THE chairman of a top Dartmoor livestock protection group says 'everyone must be a watchdog'.

Marion Saunders, chairman of the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society (DLPS), was presenting the society's 48th annual report, in which she describes the work of Jane Cole, the Dartmoor Livestock Protection officer, who works mainly on the sheep-worrying problem and liaises between the public, the Dartmoor Commoners' Council and the society.

Marion said: 'Everyone who walks on Dartmoor must be a watchdog against sheep worrying — There have been some horrific cases of dogs attacking sheep. '

She said one case involved a dog attacking a ewe with lambs on Roborough Down last April. The dog was tossing the lambs in the air, dropping them, attacking the ewe and then returning to the lambs.

'By the time the farmer arrived, the dog had gone, taking one of the lambs with it. The owner was traced and paid compensation to the farmer, but of course that does not begin to make up for the stress caused to those animals and to the farmer.

'On another occasion a sheep on Roborough Down was attacked round the face by a dog, leaving the sheep with only half a cheek. The sheep couldn't eat and had to be put down.

'It is impossible for one person to deal with this terrible problem, and we urge members of the public both to keep their own dogs under control, and to tell us at once if they witness a dog worrying sheep.

'Our livestock protection officer has been a three-year pilot scheme with the commoners' council, which we are now evaluating. It is evident that this role is essential, to follow up incidents and to make the public aware of what a problem this is.

'Everyone who walks on Dartmoor has an important part to play.'

For more information about the DPLS visit http://www.dlps.org.uk">www.dlps.org.uk