People in St Cleer are organising a petition in their bid to stop cattle roaming around the village, saying the animals are creating hazards for children and drivers as well as entering the churchyard.

They are calling for a grid to prevent cattle entering the centre of their moorland community.

Ancient commoners' rights mean that cattle can wander from common to common at will, but concern has been growing that increasing numbers of cattle have been holding up vehicles in St Cleer's main street, blocking the road when children have been going to the local school, grazing in the churchyard, and eating plants and shrubs in gardens.

The petition has been organised by local resident, Kay Shepherd, and will back up plans by the local parish council to push for a grid to be provided as part of the Bodmin Moor government-funded project. Residents have been busily signing the petition in the Churchtown Stores and in the local Post Office.

Mrs Shepherd said that she didn't object at all to the cattle on the moorland, and she believed most other local people felt the same way. She said: 'I realise the existence of 'Commoners' Rights' but since coming to the village to live in 1984 the number of cattle has so increased that they are continuously roaming through the village.'

School

She said motor accidents involving cattle are escalating, and earlier this week a huge number of the cows were seen grazing in the churchyard. On one day they also filled the road while children were trying to gain entry to the primary school.

Pensioner Winifred Berry has lived in St Cleer since l970 and said that the number of cattle making the way into the village seem to be increasing. She also highlighted the damaging effect they have on village gardens.

St Cleer parish council chairman John Sheer said the petition would add weight to the push for a grid application to the Bodmin moor project. He said the county usually put grids in, but they have no money to do so at present, and there is also a waiting list.

He also said that, unfortunately, the cattle are able to find umpteen ways of avoiding the cattle grids already on the moor.

Farmer Tony Bolitho, who owns some of the cattle, said that, like others in St Cleer, he thinks it would be a good idea to install a grid preventing cattle from straying into the village centre.

He added that the Commoners had wanted a grid at Hockings House, which would go some way to solving the problem, but said a lot of forethought was required to provide grids at the right places. He said, however, that cattle wandering on the highway could be said to deter traffic from speeding, and slow it down, and that others would prefer cattle naturally 'cutting' the grass in the churchyard to petrol driven lawnmowers. He said that he would be willing to put a contribution towards a grid if installed to protect the village.

Les Piper, a St Cleer and district Commoner, said that around five cattle grids were required to isolate St Cleer and Darite, so an overall plan was required.

Some grids have already been put in place, but price has prevented the initial scheme for ten to be completed. Prices for grids have reached as high as £22,000. Mr Piper said isolating St Cleer and Darite, and locking the cattle on to the moorland, would solve 80 per cent of the problem but the matter would have to be carried further, and some authority would be needed to control the situation regarding the numbers of cattle and the grazing available.