A Cheshire MP has presented her first Bill in Parliament on the issue of livestock worrying.

Aphra Brandreth, Member of Parliament for Chester South and Eddisbury, has presented The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill.

It aims to give the police the powers to respond to livestock worrying in a more efficient manner, ensuring the collection of evidence is more effective and, in the most serious of cases, lead to the seizing and detaining of dogs to reduce the risk of further attacks.

Statistics released earlier this year by the National Farmers Union (NFU) found that farm animals worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured or killed by dogs in 2023, up by nearly 30 per cent on the previous year.

The new MP has used the opportunity given to backbench MPs to present a Bill on any issue.

Ms Brandreth's Bill would broaden the scope of legislation to incorporate livestock such as alpacas and llamas, as well as widening the enforcement area to include roads and paths.

Following the presentation of her Bill, Aphra Brandreth MP said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to present a Bill to Parliament just a few months after being elected.

"Livestock worrying is an issue close to my heart. My husband is a vet so the consequences of livestock worrying is something I am familiar with.

"During my first meeting with the Cheshire NFU earlier this year, a constituent and local dairy farmer, Phil Latham, shared how his farm and herd had been horrifically impacted by livestock worrying.

"For farmers like Phil, their first priority is the welfare of their herd. Dog attacks are increasingly all too common and we have seen in Chester South and Eddisbury the damage they can do both to the animals, and also to farms and farmers as businesses and business owners.

"I have presented this Bill because I share the concerns of Phil and farmers across Cheshire that there must be justice following an attack and it is important that the police are given the necessary powers to collect evidence and enforce the law. Farmers must also be compensated when an attack happens.

"I look forward to taking this Bill through Parliament to deliver for farmers in my constituency and across the country.”

NFU county adviser for Cheshire Helen Wainwright said: “Sadly livestock worrying continues to be a major issue for many farmers in Cheshire and other parts of the country. This has a financial impact and it’s really awful to see the animals suffering in this way.

"If this Bill is passed, it will be really good news and we thank Aphra Brandreth for presenting this issue and working on this with us. We urge people to keep their dogs on a lead around livestock and make sure their gardens are secure.

"We will be encouraging our members to report incidents of livestock worrying to help to make a positive impact in reducing the number of incidents that are happening.”