TOURISTS have been told to be cautious of a herd of cows who roam wild in a quiet country village -after a woman suffered a broken arm from the cattle.
Pictures show the cows thundering down the small country roads in Gower, South Wales, choosing to graze on the roadside and gardens away from their fields.
Locals in the tiny village of Southgate are used to seeing the herd wandering freely, but summer holiday makers are being warned to be careful.
The warning comes after a woman was left with a broken arm and other injuries after she was attacked by a cow in the tiny Welsh village.
Coffee shop worker Jamie Francis said: "We all witnessed it – but we are used to the cows roaming wild around here.
"She was walking near the cow when it flicked its head and hit her. They are very heavy creatures.
"Locals know to avoid them – especially on green bag recycling days when the cows come in for a free meal ripping open the bags."
Emergency services were called after reports that a woman was injured at around 3pm on Tuesday.
The woman, believed to be in her 30s, who was attacked by the cow was air lifted to hospital following the incident.
It's not known what happened to the cow, but unconfirmed reports suggest it was shot, WalesOnline reported.
A statement from South Wales Police read: "At around 3pm yesterday, emergency services were called to a farm in Southgate, Swansea, where a woman, reportedly in her 30s, had been struck by a cow.
“She was airlifted to University Hospital of Wales where she is being treated for her injuries."
'NO HARM DONE'
The herd have been seen on clifftops, front gardens, and caused unsuspecting cyclists to swerve by confronting them in country lanes.
Many of the cattle have wandered onto the local golf course while members play a round and the herd almost flattened two schoolboys while rampaging down a road.
Schoolboy Noah Williamson, 12, and brother Sam, 14, had to dodge the galloping cows – one of whom had a plastic chair on its head.
Noah filmed the herd on his phone and dashed home to show parents Stephanie and Paul.
Stephanie said: "Noah was with his older brother Sam and I’m just glad they had the sense to stay out of the way in someone’s drive to avoid the stampede.
“The cow with the chair on its head has given us all a good giggle though, and the cow has since had the chair removed, so it is fine and there’s no harm done”.
Farmer Angharad Williams said she did not know how the cow had got the chair on its head but it had not been harmed.
She added: "The cows roam, and we got the call from someone that there was a cow with a chair on its head .
"My uncle who owns the cows was out on a job somewhere, so I went over to have a look.
"But we had calls from people that they had stampeded their way back through Southgate and towards the fields – they know their way home.
"The cow was fine. He pulled it off himself."
'HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK'
Villagers and visitors have previously complained of cows attacking people and dogs as they graze on common land in Southgate.
Worried dad David Jones, said: "Despite a number of attacks on people and dogs Swansea Council refuses to acknowledge there is a health and safety risk.
"They allow hundreds of cows and young calves to roam the streets in Pennard and Southgate. The local primary school encourages children to walk and cycle to school.
"Is it going to take the death of a child before the council does anything about this danger?
"It is getting worse with the numbers increasing and I have spoken to a lot of neighbours have had cows breaking into their gardens and damaging cars – one person was attacked.
"They are also causing damage to people’s cars.
"I feared my little boy would be trampled on after cows made a beeline for his dog as they went on a walk."
A Swansea Council spokesman said they were working closely with the Gower Commoners Association to tackle the issue.
The spokesman said: "As with all areas of Gower where common land exists we would urge residents to be mindful they live in an environment where a variety of animals can occasionally wander from grassed areas onto roads and into residential areas.
"We work closely with the Gower Commons Association and local farmers to ensure this is kept under control.”
Pennard Community Council warns on its website that people in the area should "be aware" of grazing farm animals on the commons.
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