THIS is an appeal to all the people who regularly use Port Meadow and those who only visit during the summer months.

There has been an alarming number of animals injured this summer and the number continues to rise.

My husband and I live in Wolvercote and, as graziers, have cattle on the meadow.

We were contacted by the Wolvercote horse warden early Sunday morning as he had received a report that one of the cattle had a ball of fishing line in its mouth.

We drove out to check the cattle but unfortunately were unable to find the animal. It could have managed to get the line out, or more worryingly, swallowed it.

We then found two cattle with severe wounds to the feet, one of which was ours.

We notified the other owner, and then drove around checking for potential causes of these injuries.

We were horrified to come across the remains of several bonfires/ barbeques.

One had the remains of some planks, each one containing over a dozen three inch nails, all pointing upwards, laying on the ground.

Not only was this deadly to livestock but someone could have stepped on it or a child fallen on it.

Another patch contained broken glass, as well as corks, plastic cutlery and burnt cans, all of which are deadly to livestock.

We picked up three carrier bags full and a further three from the pound by Wolvercote car park.

When the bins are full rubbish is just left strewn all over the floor by the side of them.

There are also collectors who dig for old bottles on the meadow.

They are a constant worry as they do not remove all they uncover, only the bottles worth anything.

The rest of the unearthed glass and broken crockery is left discarded on the surface.

This is a real problem and anyone who sees this happening should report it to the police.

The river poses another threat to animals. It is desperately in need of dredging and has sand banks building up in the middle.

This will allow cattle to cross over to the other side.

If you are walking your dog along the bank and see cattle along the edge of the river, please give them a wide berth and keep your dog under close control.

Cattle will flee into the water if frightened and will cross over to the other side.

This poses another danger as they can get kicked whilst in the water and smaller animals, when the water level is higher, can potentially be carried downstream and drown.

Finally, a reminder to all dog walkers.

It is a legal requirement to pick up after your dog and then dispose of it in a bin, not leave the bag laying on the ground or hanging on the fence .

If we could all try to follow the country code, close gates and take our litter home, Port Meadow would continue to be a place of outstanding natural beauty and a pleasure for all to enjoy.

LORRAINE MEREDITH AND TONY STRONG

Meadow Prospect, 

Wolvercote,

Oxford