A scheme to allow farm animals to graze on Chorleywood Common has been criticised again, after the parish council was accused of “fencing off” an area of public land.

The herd of cows occupies a small section of the common for six weeks in the summer, to help with both mowing the grass and encouraging a larger diversity of plants.

However, the cows, which arrived last week, have already attracted criticism from residents and users of the common.

Last week the Watford Observer reported how Carol Tunstall was chased around the common by several of the animals when she was out for a walk.

Now the council has been accused “fencing off” a section of the common from public use, to contain the animals.

Chris Beney, is the Three Rivers local correspondent for the Open Spaces Society, a charity founded in 1865 to save Berkhamsted Common.

He said: “The cows that bothered Carol Tunstall on Chorleywood Common wouldn't be there without the fencing put up by the parish councillors.

“There are strict laws on such fencing and the councillors appear to be disregarding. There is a process for the temporary fencing which does not seem to have been followed, and the permanent fencing requires formal government approval. I know of no such approval. It is not clear where that leaves the parish councillors.”

“Some temporary enclosure for good reason can sometimes be acceptable, and Chorleywood's removable fence might well be of that kind, but the bulk of the fencing there is permanent and some of it seriously detracts from the openness which is a key part of our heritage of publicly accessible commons.”

On Saturday one of the cows escaped from the common, and was eventually rounded up and taken to a nearby farm.

Yvonne Merritt, of Chorleywood Parish Council, said: We're not enclosing the common at all. We want to put some permanent fencing around the boundaries.

“The parish council owns the common. In the deeds, the first priority is to enhance and protect it, which is what we are doing. We have had many positive comments from residents and Natural England.”

Comments included: “What a wonderful idea to start cattle grazing on common land, we could do with more ideas like this. Our ancestors will be delighted” from Mrs Coster, and “Its great to see the cows back on the common. I had no problem walking the dog on a lead for a short while” from Mr Harman.

Ms Merritt added: “This is a small part of the common, less than 10 per cent, which will be enclosed for only six weeks. We've got 11,000 residents and if in a referendum, 92 per cent voted in favour of the scheme, that is relatively conclusive in my book.

“The cows are not dangerous, they're inquisitive. I appreciate a lot of people who moved into Chorleywood may have not seen a cow in real life, but there is still over 90 percent of the common on which they can walk.”