Young commoner Nicola urges New Forest verderers to tighten animal accident reporting rules

A YOUNG commoner has urged the verderers to re-think their advice to drivers who knock down animals after two of her sheep were left to die in a horrific hit-and-run incident.

As reported in the A&T, the animals were discovered on the B3079 just outside Bramshaw Church after the driver involved in the collision fled the scene.

Now their owner, 16-year-old Nicola Denness, is asking the verderers to revise guidance giving drivers 24 hours to report an accident.

In a presentment to the Verderers’ Court on Wednesday, Nicola explained that as well as the sheep she had lost a foal and a yearling in other hit-and-runs..

Referring to the animal accident hotline cards, which are issued by the verderers offering advice to motorists on what they should do if they are involved in a collision with a New Forest animal, Nicola said: “Would it be possible to change or remove the wording regarding reporting the animal within 24 hours.

“If an animal has been hit by a car it is not appropriate for the animal’s welfare for this to be left, so could the wording be changed to ‘reported immediately’?

“Many accidents are leaving animals in pain with internal injuries and broken legs, and they are caused unnecessary suffering and left in a very distressing state. These animals could be left to suffer as long as 24 hours.”

Nicola’s impassioned plea was prompted after the sheep were mutilated and left to die on the road three weeks ago.

Speaking to the A&T at the time, Nicola’s mother Sarah Harrison said: “The first sheep was hit at such a speed that its stomach split open so it probably died almost instantly, but it looks like the second animal had a broken back and legs so it would have suffered.

“I just don’t know what is wrong with people – I can’t understand how anyone could hit an animal and then leave it to die in that state.

“People seem to think driving round an animal is like overtaking a parked car; they are not robots; they are alive and unpredictable.”

The sheep were found by Anna Maria Anderson, who lives in Nomansland. She said: “The scene I came across on my own late at night can only be described as horrific – not just one but two sheep had obviously been hit at high speed and left in a disgusting state to die in the middle of the road.”

During her presentment to the Verderers’ Court, Nicola continued: “On the animal hotline cards, it states: ‘If you feed animals, they may stray onto the roads and be killed’ But could it not say: ‘Do not feed the animals’ instead?”

She concluded by asking for signage prohibiting the feeding of animals and threatening a fine.

Nicola’s plea came just days after a further two ponies were fatally injured on Forest roads. On Monday last week a brown filly foal was injured on the B3055 Sway Road to Brockenhurst at 6am, and subsequently had to be destroyed. The following Thursday a pony had to be destroyed after it was also injured on the same stretch of road at 5.50pm.

In the only other accident reported to the verderers, a pony was uninjured after a collision on the Burley Road between Thorneyhill and Burbush at 5.30pm on Thursday.

Statistics show that animal accidents from January to the end of October this year are up 28% on the same period last year.

Speaking at the Verderers’ Court, clerk Sue Westwood said: “The agisters attended 19 accidents in October – this compares with 17 accidents in the same period last year.

“One pony, two pigs, one donkey and two sheep were killed, and four ponies and two cows were injured and destroyed.

“The total number of commoners’ animals killed and injured to the end of October 2018 is 72, compared with 56 in the same period last year.”