Record road deaths in New Forest
New Forest ponies are facing increasing danger from speeding motorists according to latest statistics
Six ponies have died in a spate of animal accidents in a one-week period in September according to the Court of Verderers, in the New Forest, Hants.
The news follows the warning issued by police on Dartmoor earlier this month for drivers to slow down after an increasing number of pony fatalities.
Sue Westwood, the clerk at the Court of Verderers, said: “It was one of the very bad weeks – unfortunately this does happen from time to time.
“The horses killed were one gelding, three foals and two mares. Two of the accidents happened at Pondhead just outside Lyndhurst, two at Godshill in the north of the Forest, one near Burley and one was on the same road as Godshill accident, but in a different place.”
During the seven-day period, Friday and Saturday were the only days when a pony was neither killed outright in an accident, nor fatally injured.
A brown colt foal had to be put down following an accident on theB3078 at Godshill. The following day, another brown colt foal was killed in a hit-and-run accident near Burley golf course at 7.30am and a brown gelding had to be destroyed after a collision on th B3056 at Pondhead a few hours later.
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Another fatality occurred the day after when a bay filly foal was hit by a car atPondhead in broad daylight.
A roan mare was put down after another hit and run incident on the B3078 at Crows Hill on the Thursday and a black Shetland mare was destroyed on the B3078 at Godshill two days later.
TheCourt of Verderers also issued figures of the number of horses killed and injured during the summer months.
- In July,13 horses were killed and injured compared to 10 horses in the same month of the previous year.
- In August, 12 horses were killed and injured compared with seven horses in the same month of the previous year.
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