Farmer faces £1m fine over cow attack

A dairy farmer faces paying £1m in damages to a walker who was injured by cows as she walked across a field.

John Cameron has been ruled liable for the injuries Shirlie McKaskie received after she was attacked by cattle in Cumbria in 2003.

A judge at Preston Crown Court ruled Mr Cameron was liable because he had not properly considered the risk his cattle posed.

Ms McKaskie, who was walking her dog across one of Mr Cameron’s fields, is claiming £1m for the injuries she sustained in the attack.

While Mr Cameron is appealing against the decision, legal experts warned the judge’s decision could set a legal precedent and mean farmers having to remove cattle from fields.

However the NFU said there was nothing in law to prevent farmers putting cattle and calves in fields with public access.

“It is a concern that following a recent court case in light of the accident that there is a suggestion cattle should not be grazed in fields with footpaths,” the union’s Robert Shearsby told the BBC.

“The NFU advises its members on the requirements of the law and what should be done to minimise risks.”

The ruling came after a police officer was paid £10,000 in damages by a landowner after he was trampled by a herd of cattle.

Inspector Chris Poole received a punctured lung, four broken ribs and a severed artery after he was attacked whilst walkiking his dog on the Sussex Downs.

While the landowner did not admit liability, he paid Insp Poole in excess of £10,000 when he began legal action, claiming not enough was done to protect the public footpath users from the animals.

There have also been a series of attacks recently, one of which was fatal.

Last month a vet Liz Crowsley was killed after being trampled by cows whilst walking her dogs near Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales.

Meanwhile former Home Secretary David Blunkett was injured by a charging cow while walking his guide dog in the Peak District.