A HERD of Aberdeen Angus cattle grazing on National Trust parkland broke into a stampede after being attacked by a dog.

Jim Foy, general manager of Hughenden Park in High Wycombe, saw the bull mastiff bite a cow on the shoulder when he was in the main drive of the park returning to the Trust’s regional headquarters in his car on Friday.

He said the dog took no notice of his owner’s desperate efforts to get him back. "Understandably she was extremely upset. She was crying. I felt very sorry for her. He just ignored her. Aberdeen Angus are usually a very docile breed but this herd got frightened by the aggressive dog and they started to stampede."

Eventually the owner caught her bull mastiff and went home without leaving her name.

The Trust’s countryside manager Neil Harris says it’s rare for d ogs to attack cattle. "Cattle have been grazing here since 1830. Incidents like this are very unusual."

The 40-strong herd that graze on the grass at Hughenden between April and the end of September each year come from Ham Farm at Piddington owned by tenant farmers Daniel and Penny Rook.

"This particular herd are well used to people and would normally take very little notice of walkers," Harris reported. "Grazing is the best way to maintain the quality of the grass and the bio-diversity of the area."

He added: "Cows are normally no threat to people or dogs but all animals will react if they are attacked. We just want to remind people to be aware when livestock are around and in particular to keep their dogs under close control."

Jim Foy hopes the incident won’t deter dog walkers coming to the park. He emphasised: "We are not trying to be prescriptive. We don’t want to spoil the enjoyment of the park. We just want to make the point to dog owners that all animals are unpredictable. We don’t want them to stay away, just to be aware."

Latest news from the park is that the cow with the bitten shoulder has recovered.