A major new campaign from the Farmers’ Union of Wales to put an end to dog attacks has won the support of Ceredigion MP Ben Lake.

The FUW is calling for legislative changes and has linked up with other organisations to remind dog owners: “Your dog, your responsibility”.

And now Mr Lake has pledged to put forward a Private Members Bill in the Commons to bring forward new legislation which will criminalise dog owners whose animals attack livestock and will provide a mechanism for compensation for farmers.

Key to the latest moves are figures from North Wales Police, the only force to maintain records and statistics, which show that 89 per cent of all dog attacks on livestock happen when they stray from home.

“We are very grateful to North Wales Police for recording this data. Previous campaigns have focused on dog walkers, but as figures show, the main issue appears to be those that escape from the back garden,” said FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright.

“As the law stands at the moment there is very little that can be to recompense the farmer or to minimise the chance of reoffending.”

The union believes that the only way to tackle increasing attacks is by introducing new laws which will act as a powerful deterrent.

“This is a major issue for the livestock farmers of Wales, impacting on incomes and in some cases causing severe mental health issues for those involved,” said Mr Lake.

“I will be putting forward a Private Members Bill when Parliament is back in session in an attempt to fast track much needed powers aimed at reducing the incidence of this serious threat to life and rural livelihoods.”

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday