Commoners Defence Association chair Andrew Parry-Norton, whose New Forest sheep were mutilated, calls for change to animal death recording

A LEADING New Forest commoner has called for the slaughter and mutilation of Forest animals to be officially recorded by the Verderers’ Court.

As reported, Commoners Defence Association chair Andrew Parry-Norton found a flock of his sheep mutilated in Cadnam earlier this month in the latest in a string of sinister animal killings.

Describing the scene as “horrific” and “devastating”, Mr Parry-Norton asked the verderers to officially record the deliberate slaughter of animals in a similar way to the recording of road traffic accidents involving commoners’ stock.

He told the Verderers’ Court meeting: “As I’m sure most of you are aware last week we had five sheep stabbed on a frenzied attack on Cadnam Green.

“Three of them haven’t made it, two of them possibly aren’t going to make it. The week before that we had a ram knocked down in a hit-and-run outside the Green Dragon, left in the middle of the road to be picked up.”

Mr Parry-Norton added that last year his neighbour and fellow commoner James Penny had three sheep deliberately run over as they grazed on Cadnam Green: “Wendy Maughan actually witnessed one being run over and the car backing up and driving back over it again.”

In recent years the New Forest has been plagued by a raft of sinister incidents. Last May commoner Patrick Langdown told the A&T he feared occult-style animal killings had returned to the area after one of his lambs was found dumped and with its throat slit at Long Cross Pond, near Fritham.

In January 2023 animal entrails – thought to include hearts – surrounded by a circle of 30 candles were arranged at the top of a trig point of Stagbury Hill, near Bramshaw.

In December 2022 the 12th century St Peter’s Church, on Judds Hill, was targeted twice, which the Rev David Bacon described as “upsetting.”

The first incident involved a dead cat hanging from a flagpole while the second saw a dead fox deliberately placed on the church doorstep.

“This is going on and on and on, it’s sickening and appalling to see,” Mr Parry-Norton told the Verderers Court. “It does make us doubt very much whether we should put animals out on the Forest. It’s starting to affect how we common – this shouldn’t take place.”

Asking for the verderers to find a method of recording the animal deaths in their monthly and annual animal accident reports, Mr Parry-Norton said: “I know it’s not being hit by a car – well not in so many words – but it still needs to be acknowledged.”

He added: “I ask the verderers to make sure you record this. To make it acknowledged because we need to make sure that sheep are acknowledged in the same way as any other Forest animals in the accident report.”