Sheep return to Milton Keynes park - and dogs could be destroyed if they're allowed to chase them

The flock of sheep has returned to graze at Campbell Park and dog owners have been warned to keep their pets on the lead when near them. Parks Trust bosses have warned that sheep worrying is a criminal offence and, if there is an attack, an owner can be fined, incur a criminal record and have their dog confiscated or even destroyed.

A spokesman for the Trust said: “Our sheep are busy carrying out their grazing work in Milton Keynes' city centre park. Please help keep them safe by keeping your dog on a lead.”

From early spring to the autumn, the Trust has around 400 sheep in city parks and fields. They will be moved to different fields throughout this time to ensure they have sufficient food.

The spokesman said: “This figure reduces in the winter. In addition to protecting the sheep from our harshest weather and preventing the ground getting heavily poached, many of the grazing fields are in floodplains, such as the Ouse and Ouzel Valley so could not be used. The animals are taken to the farm and housed in barns over the winter months.”

The sheep help to maintain wildlife habitats, creating better conditions for a great variety of wildflowers, which attract pollinating insects such as butterflies, bees and hoverflies as well as larger animals and birds.

"Without grazing livestock we would need to use heavy machinery more regularly to mow the grass and then remove the cuttings. If the cut grass is not removed, the nutrients enrich the soil, promoting strong grasses that would outcompete the wildflowers,” said the spokesman.