Cars hit 10 lambs on road near Ludlow

The A4117 which runs from Ludlow to Cleobury Mortimer is known for taking motorists across the sheep-grazed Clee Hill common, which has cattle grids at either end to keep livestock in.

But in the past few months the number of animals hit by motorists has been "phenomenal", farmer Paul Jones has said, and has called for drivers to be more cautious and check their speed.

Mr Jones, 48, who farms both sheep and cattle on the common, at family farm Hints Meadow, said there needed to be a change in the attitude of people going across the hill.

He said both cows and sheep had been hit recently – and about 10 lambs in the last couple of weeks.

He said: "We've had a terrible six months up on that road, it's been ridiculous. We've had it going on for years but it seems to be getting out of hand.

"This time of year we've got a lot of lambs up there. People are going to knock them over occasionally, I accept that, but people used to report to the police when they did and now no one does.

"99 per cent of the time you never find out who knocked them over. You do a lot of hard work looking after these sheep and people just don't care.

"The impact is exactly the same as a dog attack and financially it's devastating.

"In the last month we've also had three cows hit – but of course, you know about who did that because the cars are smashed up."

The road is used as a route for traffic coming and going between the West Midlands and Wales, and also takes heavy lorries going back and forth to Clee Hill Quarry.

While it is officially 60mph for much of it there are slower spots and warning signs along the stretch, Mr Jones said, and it was simply not safe to drive at full pelt across the common.

He said recently gorse had also been cleared so that people should be able to see animals near the road and slow down accordingly, but it seemed to have made no difference.

"A lot of this is common sense. There is signage up there to say look out for sheep and other animals crossing but people pay no attention.

"I drive over there back and forth 10 times a day and I will do 40 to 50mph – but I've had people flashing their lights and beeping their horn to get past.

"What it needs is a police man up there now and again with a speed camera," he said.

However, he added, because the accidents did not involve human casualties, it was difficult to get any action to be taken.