Parks Trust worker assaulted by owner of large dog chasing sheep in Milton Keynes park

Police are trying to trace a 6ft tall man with a German Pointer dog after an assault in a city park.
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The man was approached by a Parks Trust worker when the dog was chasing sheep in Campbell Park.

Previously sheep have been killed in a dog attack in the same spot, while others have been terrified by off lead dogs.

But the worker's concerns resulted in him being assaulted by the dog owner, who is described as around 6ft tall with dark cropped hair.

The Parks Trust is appealing for witnessesThe Parks Trust is appealing for witnesses
The Parks Trust is appealing for witnesses

He was walking a white speckled German Pointer which was off lead and chasing the sheep around the belvedere area in the park.

The assault happened at 8.25am last Friday, February 26, and it has been reported to police.

Parks Trust bosses are now asking anybody who witnessed the incident, or anyone who remembers seeing this man and his dog, to call police on 101 quoting URN 368 of 26022021.

Meanwhile the Trust, whose rangers work hard to keep city parks clean and safe, have put out a warning about people dumping litter.

The swan is pictured amid a sea of litterThe swan is pictured amid a sea of litter
The swan is pictured amid a sea of litter

One ranger took a photograph of a swan swimming by the shore in a lake covered in plastic bottles and food wrappers - all of which can be fatal if swallowed by birds and waterfowl.

A Parks Trust spokesman said: "Help us to keep Milton Keynes’ parks wonderful places to be for both visitors and wildlife. This photo was taken by one of our Rangers on their patrols and it shows the negative impact litter can have on nature."

Another photo shows a ranger patiently picking up a deluge of litter on grassland over the weekend.

Removing litter from parks costs the Parks Trust a whopping £350,000 a year. But the cost to wildlife can be even higher.

A ranger picks up litter left on parklandA ranger picks up litter left on parkland
A ranger picks up litter left on parkland

"Leaving rubbish next to or trying to force rubbish into an already overflowing bin seriously affects wildlife. Discarded rubbish blows around our parks and gets into the path of wildlife causing a whole host of issues," said the Trust spokesman.

"Small mammals, like shrews, often climb inside discarded bottles where they become trapped and die, hedgehogs (a declining species in the UK) are often victims of litter. They become caught up in items like plastic multi-pack rings and plastic carrier bags, often with fatal results.

"It is not just land mammals that are suffering, waterfowl such as swans and geese can swallow plastic which accumulates in their stomach and eventually kills them. So please act responsibly and take your litter home."

Adding more bins is not the answer, says the Trust.

"Research conducted by Keep Britain Tidy indicates that 62% of people do not litter. These people would normally take their litter home with them, but upon seeing bins, will use them. So installing more bins into our parks is not affordable for the charity and clearing the excess litter, is reducing funds that could otherwise be spent on maintaining and improving the parks for the benefit of all... Please support us by taking your litter home if there is no bin available or if the bin is full," said the spokesman.

He added: "The importance of access to greenspace and parks have been and continue to be more important than ever. We work hard to keep the parks safe and protect the beautiful greenspaces of Milton Keynes so that everyone can enjoy them safely and reap the benefits to their physical and mental wellbeing.

"Our parkland is the perfect place to meet friends and family and picnics are often popular pass times but we must stress the need to take home the litter you bring into our parks."

Mobile CCTV is in operation in the parks and anybody caught dropping litter can be fined.

Ten investigations were carried out last in May 2020 alone, with the appropriate fixed penalties handed out. The penalties are set at £80 for littering and dog fouling and £400 for dumping rubbish.

Finally, the Parks Trust has asked all dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead in Howe Park, Shenley Wood and Linford Wood due to the current bird nesting season.

The season runs from March to September.

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