"DEVASTATING" dog attacks have cost the region's farmers £1m in the last four years.

The shocking figure comes from rural insurer NFU Mutual who say farmers in the South West are hit hardest by the cost of vicious dog attacks.

NFU Mutual, which insures three quarters of farmers, is mounting a campaign after it revealed farm animals worth more than £1m have been savaged by dogs in the South West over the past four years.

The peak time for attacks is during lambing season which runs from January to April.

Despite being less than two months into 2019, Dorset Police said it has already responded to nine reports of dog attacks and livestock worrying in the county.

Last week, as reported in the Echo, three ewes died after a dog was seen loose in a field near Crossways.

One sheep died of injuries sustained in the attack while two others died a short time later as a result of the stress. All three were pregnant and subsequently their unborn lambs also died.

On January 22 a horrific attack occurred in the Stony Lane area of Holwell which left two sheep dead and a third, still alive but with one of its legs nearly completely severed.

As a result the animal had to be put down.

Last year Dorset Police responded to 40 incidents of livestock worrying and 35 in 2017.

With many families expected to visit the countryside over the coming months, NFU Mutual is now urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead at all times in the countryside and for people to report out-of-control dogs to a local farmer and the police.

Despite new research showing more dog owners are putting their pets on leads when livestock are nearby, the insurer says it is increasingly concerned by reports that attacks are being caused by dogs which have been let out in gardens, escaping and attacking sheep in neighbouring fields.

NFU Mutual claims one in six owners admitted their dog had escaped from home however more people (52 per cent) were allowing their pets to go out in the garden unaccompanied - up from 43 per cent last year.

Livestock worrying is a criminal offence and owners risk a fine of up to £1,000 or six month imprisonment. If a farmer believes a dog is worrying their livestock, they have the right to shoot it.

Chris Roberts, NFU Mutual manager for the South West, warned dog attacks were still at a very high level.

“Thousands of sheep are being killed and horribly mutilated by dogs and we will be redoubling our efforts to raise awareness of the issue, and helping police to bring owners of dogs which attack livestock to justice," Mr Roberts said. “We are sadly all too aware of the heartbreak and distress that dog attacks cause. For small farmers in particular, livestock worrying is devastating because it has a huge impact on their livelihood. "While insurance can cover the cost of replacing stock killed and the treatment of injured animals, there is a knock-on effect on breeding programmes that can take years to overcome.”