Another Attack On Farmers?

A farmer's daughter who was almost trampled to death by a herd of cows has warned that many people remain oblivious to the dangers posed by the normally docile animals.

Libby James was airlifted to hospital after being attacked by a group of the animals while walking with her husband Ger and their dog Arti in 2014. Since then Ms James has dedicated her time to raising awareness of attacks by 'killer cows', with shocking figures showing that in the past eight years at least 38 people have died in encounters with the herbivores.

A job that once went to sadly departed blogger Mark Wadsworth, but I suppose someone's got to pick up the baton... 

Speaking to the Mail, Ms James said she was not a novice when it came to being around the animals, but that still didn't prevent them attacking her.

'My father taught me to walk through a field of cows,' she said. 'I strolled confidently through the field and when the herd approached I raised my hands and bellowed "Go back".'

That's the wisdom imparted by dear old dad? 

Ms James has set up campaign group Cows On Walkers Safety (COWS), which runs the website 'Killer Cows' and has received more than 900 reports of cattle incidents since 2017. According to the latest available figures from the Health and Safety Executive, 62 people were killed by cows in the past ten years.

Sadly, our agriculture and livestock farming, not to mention our food production, relies on livestock, so we can't ban them like the XL Bully. Maybe scientists should be DNA-tinkering to produce more docile cows, and not ones that fart less? 

Ms James is calling for footpaths to be fenced off and cattle to be separated from public rights of way if fencing is not possible.

Has she any idea how much that would cost? 

'The footpaths were there before the farmers came on board. So the farms were established over the footpath network,' she said. 'The footpath network is wonderful, it keeps us in touch with nature and keeps people fit, and being able to access the countryside without the need to for an expensive gym or anything like that.

'So we need the footpaths, but we need them to be safe. People have a right to walk on those footpaths. It is indelibly laid down in law. 'But actually, if you put cows in a field and you are no longer safe to walk through that field. You are blocking that footpath, and that is illegal.

'And that is something that people don't realise yet.'

If it's illegal, how come no-one's been arrested for it? I'm sure the police would oblige, since Starmer The Farmer Harmer has decided they are Public Enemy No 1...