Shaugh Prior Parish

There is one local Crime to report for the month of April, and 1 Non-Crime Domestic.

Police Log No: JI/11/308 - Theft # of Motor Vehicle – 26/04 – theft occurred at Dewerstone car park – Black BMW left unsecure and unattended. If anyone has any information regarding this theft, please phone the Police : 08452 777 444.

PCSO Di Summers, will no longer be covering the Parish but will be moving to cover the Town centre and suburbs of Ivybridge. PCSO Zoe Farrant will be covering the Parish for the foreseeable future. However when she is off or on leave the other PCSOs at the station will provide cover.

(10/5/2011)

All children in the Parish that are of Primary School age and under are entitled to receive a Royal Wedding Mug. They have arrived and are available from the Chairman of the Parish Council. Contact Elaine Smerdon on Tel 01752 839376 or email rsmerdon2003@yahoo.co.uk to arrange collection. (20/4/2011)

Our Junior Show Jumping Team did us proud at the National Winter Championships at Hartpury. The riders, horses and supporters travelled up on the Saturday and stayed overnight. They had a great time and enjoyed themselves very much. The courses were long with some difficult turns, wide spreads and spooky fillers. Brightly coloured wavy planks seemed to be the bogey fence! West Devon finished on 20 faults in 11th place out of 20 teams.

A group of seniors spent a weekend at Stockland Lovell camp. This was an opportunity for some serious training for both horses and riders. The venue was excellent with plenty of good food and lively entertainment.

20 riders enjoyed the cross country clinic with Nick Gauntlett at Newnham Park.

Congratulations to Lucy Luscombe who travelled to Colraine and qualified Perfect Scoundrel for the Open Top Score jumping. The final of this competition is to be held at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Lucy was also 3rd in the combined training class.

The spring show with dressage is on 15^th May at Medlands, spectators are welcome.

Evening fun jumping runs for 6 Tuesdays starting 24^th May at 6.30pm in Shaugh Prior by kind permission of Helen and Roy Radmore.

Photo is the Junior show jumping team, Zoe Gooding on Freddie, Lucy Scott on Beanie, Samantha Underwood on Mericka and Stacie Harrison on Dudley. (12/4/2011)

Shaugh Prior Parish Council

The breeding season for moorland birds on Dartmoor coincides with the lambing season and, with the official arrival of spring, the moorland will be full of new life.

Many visitors and local people exercise their dogs when enjoying Dartmoor. Although a dog may not be actively chasing livestock, its presence can still cause disturbance. During the lambing season pregnant ewes are particularly vulnerable. A frightened animal may abort or abandon its young – a tragedy for the animal and a financial loss to the farmer.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is a year round concern. The law requires that dogs be kept under close control at all times. During the moorland lambing season (1 March to 31 July), and lambing season on enclosed farmland (1 December to 30 June), Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Dartmoor Commoners Council ask that people comply with signs requiring dogs to be kept on a lead if they are not confident that their dogs are obedient.

During the bird breeding and lambing season - March, April, May, June and July, you can help by:

keeping to tracks and paths as much as possible, particularly in areas of dense heather, clitter and wetlands;
keeping your dog on a lead - especially as most lambing takes place at the same time that birds are nesting – (this specific advice is also given in the Countryside Code);
not picking up any new born lambs - the mother is normally grazing nearby and quite often will reject a lamb that has been handled;
avoiding young birds on the ground or distressed parent birds, by walking around the area and moving away quickly, allowing the parents to return;
spreading the word by telling others how they can help too.

Since autumn 2010, Jane Cole has been has been working as Livestock Protection Officer in a partnership arrangement between the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council and the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society. Part of her work is to raise awareness of the importance of keeping dogs under close control when visiting access land. She also records and investigates reported incidents of stock worrying. She has recently investigated 9 incidents of sheep having been killed and 15 attacked and injured during a six month period in the Roborough area of Dartmoor alone.

Whilst the majority of people who visit open country with their dogs take steps to ensure their pet does not worry livestock, there are those who continue to allow their dogs to be a problem. It is hoped that regular patrols and raised public awareness will help prevent stock worrying incidents and reduce the potential impact of uncontrolled dogs on ground nesting birds. A new leaflet has been produced entitled `Please keep your dog under control` providing information on the lambing and bird breeding season and aimed specifically at people who exercise their dogs on Dartmoor. It is available free of charge from Dartmoor National Park Authority Information Centre’s and will be used by the Livestock Protection Officer and National Park Rangers to promote good practice in specific problem areas. The leaflet can also be viewed on the Dartmoor National Park Authority website www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk

If you witness any disturbance of livestock or interference with bird nesting sites by dogs please call the Livestock Protection Officer Jane Cole on 07873 587561.

For Further Information from Dartmoor National Park Authority

Robert Steemson, Head Ranger Tel: 07711 856206

Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority.

(2/4/2011)