A STARK warning to reduce your speed on Dartmoor roads has this week been issued, after it has emerged ten animals have been brutally killed on two main roads within a month.

The road traffic accidents, mainly on the Yelverton to Princetown and Tavistock to Princetown roads, and beyond, have resulted in the deaths of three cows, four ponies and three sheep.

Karla McKechnie, livestock protection officer for the Dartmoor Commoners Council and the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society, has issued a warning for people to slow down to help save the lives of the helpless animals.

She said: 'Ten animals have been killed on Dartmoor roads — this is a stark reminder that on cold nights the roads will be gritted and salted and 40mph is not slow enough, people have got to slow down!'

Two ponies were killed last Friday (January 23) at Four Winds Car Park on the way to Princetown.

One was a young foal with a broken leg which died from its injuries, while its mother was found dead ten metres away with horrific injuries.

Karla added: 'The Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society are in talks with the police and highways agency and we hope to put up more signage on the roads to make people aware that they need to slow down.

'These poor animals have crawled to the edge of the roads after they have been hit and these animals have sustained horrific injuries.

'The only real problems these animals face are from us humans and dog attacks. We need to slow down!'