POLICE have called for new powers to tackle livestock worrying as it is revealed the cost of attacks has reached record levels.

North Yorkshire Police played a key role in producing a report which proposes measures including DNA testing of dogs suspected of carrying out an attack and also court orders or warrants to allow officers to search property and seize dogs.

A working group of five forces, including North Yorkshire, analysed data from September 2013 to 2017 and found there were 1,705 recorded incidents across their areas, leaving 1,928 animals dead and 1,614 injured, at an estimated cost of £250,000.

The working group has now published its report as lambing time looms for many farmers - and after new figures from NFU Mutual showed that the cost of attacks reported to them rose by 67 per cent across the UK in the past two years.

The insurer said the total cost to the industry in 2017 was estimated at £1.6 million, and the average cost of a claim rose by more than 50 per cent, to nearly £1,300.

The police working group has recommended measures to help officers tackle the problem, including:

The power to obtain DNA from dogs as part of an investigation

A police power or court warrant to enter property to search for and seize dogs

An option for the most 'large-scale' cases to be heard at crown court

A focus on preventing attacks, including the possible diversion or restriction of footpaths during lambing time.

North Yorkshire's chief constable, Dave Jones, said: “We need dog owners to take responsibility for their animals – not just by putting their dogs on a lead when out walking, but by preventing them from escaping from home and causing damage to livestock.

"We need livestock owners to report incidents so that we can gather intelligence and launch investigations.

"Above all, we need the powers to tackle this problem effectively and an overhaul of the outdated and sometimes ineffective rules surrounding livestock worrying.

“By working to tackle these barriers at a national level, we hope we can make a positive difference to our communities here in North Yorkshire.”

The police working group said the first national rural affairs policing strategy would be launched this spring, with livestock worrying as one of its priorities, with a 'priority delivery group' set up to 'focus on prevention, enforcement, intelligence and reassurance'.

Meanwhile, NFU Mutual has advised farmers to:

Check stock regularly

When possible keep sheep in fields away from footpaths

Pup signs warning dog owners to keep their pets under control

Maintain fences, walls and hedges to make it more difficult for dogs to get into grazing fields

Report any attacks to the police immediately

Ask neighbours to alert them if they see attacks or loose dogs near their livestock.