A distraught Saddleworth hillside farmer is “at the end of his tether” with losing valuable calves caused by dog owners allowing pets to defecate on his land.

Six generations of John Collins family have farmed at Doctor Lane, Scouthead, and always kept livestock on their modest holding.

Originally, it was a dairy farm and cows have always grazed and eaten forage made from those fields.

John, who took over the farm in 2003 from his father and uncle, inherited a small herd of suckler cows and kept his father's dream alive to carry on the farm.

He explained: “I continued with the suckler cows and built up the herd over the years.

"We would have the odd aborted calf but put it down to bad luck.  

“Six years ago,  I lost three of the 16 calves due to be born that year. It was quite devastating and I started asking questions.

“I sent one of the dead calves to the vet for an examination. It had died of neosporosis, a disease passed onto cattle through dog faeces.  

"We realised the long public footpath crossing the land was the source of the dog faeces.

"This was absolutely heartbreaking not only for the time and effort to put into the animals but you are left with a mother cow lactating with no calf.”

He went on: “This problem has now reached a head with the increase in dogs since the Covid lockdown and I am at the end of my tether.  

"We have put stiles in and signs up asking people to keep to the footpath.  

"Unfortunately, the signs have been torn down. My fields are not parks, they are not playgrounds but productive fields.  

“The dogs must stick to the footpath and not be allowed to roam the fields. When you challenge the dog walkers to stick to the paths invariably you get abuse as they do not understand.

“It is also apparent dog walkers do not pick up their dog muck,” he added.

“It is imperative dog faeces must be picked up and taken home -  not discarded in the plastic bag on my fields. That causes another problem with the animals eating the bags which they cannot then digest.”

His concerns are focused on the main footpath running north-south from Lydgate through to the A62 Huddersfield Road and beyond to Thurston Clough Road.

Councillor Pam Byrne, chairman of Saddleworth council and local ward councillor, said: “I’ve got every sympathy with farmer Collins plight and I’m in discussion with Oldham highways to see what can be done.”