Dartmoor’s livestock protection officer is urging people to go dead slow on moorland roads in the winter gloom after two pony deaths in recent days.

Karla McKechnie has been called to a pony death on the road to Crapstone last Thursday night (December 4) and at Two Bridges last Wednesday (December 3).

In the case of the Two Bridges collision, the driver drove off without reporting the collision. This is a criminal offence.

“I find it so frustrating,” said Karla. “It is pretty unforgivable to hit a pony and not phone it in. I attended that with the police and had to pull the pony out of the way. I had another one on Thursday night, on the road at the turning past Horrabridge going out to Long Ash. That was particularly horrendous. The driver did call the police though.”

She urged drivers to take particular care on the moorland roads at this time of year, with dark, rain and hill fog making it almost impossible to see clearly, particularly at night.

If you go over a cattle grid, she says, use that as a sign that there are free-roaming animals ahead on the commons.

She is on call to come out to any animal in distress on the moor 24 hours a day. Call 07873 587561. You can also call the police on 101 or via the Devon and Cornwall Police website.