Sheep deserve to graze in peace, and National Trust Wasdale Rangers are reminding people of that with the help of Cumbria Police.

While dog walkers can usually be relied on for support in the protection of nature, some are a little too trusting of their pets, letting them run free and harm sheep and their lambs.

Visitors to the area are being asked to ‘click and collect’ – click dogs on a lead and collect their faeces, due to diseases that can be found in it that contaminate the grazing land.

Wasdale Ranger Andrew Porter commented: “It takes very little to stress a sheep. A dog doesn’t need to get physically close; the trauma of being startled can cause serious problems.”

Cumbria Constabulary’s PC Samantha O’Key added: “Even if you have the most obedient dog, they have a natural instinct to run. Livestock worrying is a criminal offence, and nationally it is part of the Rural Crime Strategy which has a simple message: ‘Your dog, your responsibility’.”