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<p>Promoting safety in the countryside and ensuring the public feel safe and confident
while using the rights of way network is very important.</p><p> </p><p>The Health
and Safety Executive provides advice on keeping cattle in areas where there are public
rights of way and in open access areas, which can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais17ew.pdf"
target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais17ew.pdf</a>. It provides a list of
actions which farmers can take to avoid or mitigate risk; for example, keeping stock
elsewhere, avoiding fields with public access, putting up temporary fencing and clear
signposting.</p><p> </p><p>Cattle, particularly if with calves, can occasionally become
aggressive towards dogs. The current Countryside Code pages on GOV.UK give advice
for the public on dogs and farm animals, as well as advice for land managers regarding
identifying threats to visitor safety. These pages can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/countryside-code-full-online-version"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/countryside-code-full-online-version</a>.
Natural England is refreshing the code for a planned relaunch next year which will
provide an opportunity to reinforce messaging around cattle and public access.</p>
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