Action is being demanded by a councillor who says he is being driven baa-rmy by gangs of woolly marauders straying off Baildon Moor and ruining villagers' gardens.

Councillor Colin Charlesworth (Cons, Baildon) says flocks of up to 30 sheep regularly get into his garden in Lodge Hill, trample over the flowerbeds and eat anything in sight.

And he fears there will be a serious accident unless something is done to stop the animals wandering the streets.

Councillor Charlesworth says he has been swamped with complaints from other residents in the West Lane area and is calling on Bradford Council and the police to act.

He is now planning to raise the issue at the next Shipley and Baildon Police Community Forum in a bid to solve the perennial problem.

He said: "My life's a misery at the moment because of this and I'm having trouble sleeping - you get to the stage when you hear a noise and just think 'is my garden covered with sheep again?'

"Since the end of January we've had five or six visits from flocks of about 30 sheep.

"They eat everything - I've even had to take my roses up to stop them from being eaten and this area's become something of a rose free zone.

"But it's not just what they eat, it's also what they leave behind."

He added: "When you live in a semi-rural place like Baildon you expect the odd sheep on the roads over Shipley Glen and Baildon Moor but you don't expect to see them bolting out of someone's garden on to West Lane or wandering around open-plan residential developments.

"Some people have spent thousands installing electronic gates and all sorts of fencing to keep them out but they shouldn't have to -- they pay their council tax and are entitled to protection.

"Apart from all the mess and upset they cause I'm very concerned that one of these days there'll be a serious accident on an ordinary residential road.''

Inspector Nigel Cawthorne, of Shipley police, said: "We're aware of the problem and are looking into it."

However, Bradford Council said it would be prepared to consider installing a cattle grid if it was funded by local people.''

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