Children in a remote Highland community have been left scared to leave their homes and children have been stopped from playing outside because of a pack of marauding dogs.
The three aggressive dogs are said to have repeatedly escaped their owners’ home and roamed loose through the village of Hilton, Easter Ross.
They have been blamed for a spate of attacks on livestock, including the deaths of five sheep, and residents fear a child could be next to be mauled.
Parts of the playground at Hilton of Cadboll Primary School have been made off-limits pupils, with children being restricted to an area protected by fencing.
Football training sessions have been cancelled and the local youth group will meet inside in the safety of the village’s Scout hut.
Warnings have been issued by the Balintore and Hilton Community Council, with residents in three communities near Tain known as the Seaboard Villages urged to be vigilant and report sightings of the dogs.
The dogs are understood to have last escaped on Sunday but later returned to their owners.
One message shared by the community council stated: ‘DANGEROUS DOGS – If you come across these dogs unsupervised within our villages please DO NOT approach. Please call 999 and advise police of their location.’
Another said: ‘Unfortunately, there have been several incidents within the Seaboard Villages relating to dogs running wild without owners in attendance. These dogs have and are causing major concerns.’
CCTV footage was also shared of three dogs running loose along a lane, and one parent said: ‘My kids haven’t been out to play since all of this.’
David Skinner, a local resident, told the Press and Journal: ‘It’s unbelievable what’s happening. People can’t go out, the bairns can’t go out and a lot of them are not going to school. ’
Police Scotland have received reports and last week charged a man and a woman in connection with offences of sheep worrying.
Four ewes and a lamb were killed in two separate attacks near the village in recent weeks.
Roderick MacKenzie, director of Balintore Farms, said: ‘The stress and disturbance could well result in lambs being miscarried.
‘I believe that if the dogs break out again and have enough time, it is very likely they will return to where they did the damage before.
‘This has caused me and others involved with the farm a lot of stress and worry.’
Enforcement officers from Highland Council also served dog control notices (DCNs) on the two owners of the powerfully-built dogs.
The notices require them to keep the animals under control or risk a £1,000 fine or having the animals seized and destroyed if they are deemed to be dangerous.
A Highland Council spokesperson said: ‘Following a joint investigation with Police Scotland, on Friday 8 November 2024 The Highland Council served Dog Control Notices (DCNs) under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 on two dog owners within the Balintore area in respect of three dogs.
‘This followed an incident reported to police in Hilton, Balintore where several sheep were seriously injured with five dying as a result of the attacks.
‘A DCN contains conditions which are aimed at ensuring the dog owner brings and keeps their dogs under control.
‘In this case the conditions include ensuring the dogs are always on lead while being walked.
If a dog owner is prosecuted for breaching a DCN, the court may make an order disqualifying a dog owner from owning or keeping a dog during such a period as the court thinks fit.
Ultimately if a court considers that a dog is dangerous it may make an order for the dogs destruction.’
Alan Yates, Environmental Health Manager added: ‘Our Service are aware of the public concerns in respect of this case and hope that the action taken helps provide some reassurance to the public that further steps have been taken in response to the sheep worrying incidents.
‘The Environmental Health team will continue to liaise closely with Police Scotland and with the dog owners to monitor and check compliance with the DCNs.’
Police Scotland said that a 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman have been charged in connection with sheep worrying offences in Easter Ross.
A spokesperson said: ‘It follows two incidents reported to police in Hilton, Balintore. Several sheep were seriously injured with five dying as a result of the attacks.
‘Following enquiries the dogs responsible were identified and their owners have been charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.’