Letter: Bull safety rules

Bulls of a recognised dairy breed (such as Ayrshire, Holstein, British Friesian and Swiss Brown) and over ten months of age are entirely banned from fields crossed by public paths.

There is no such thing as a totally safe bull but the most lethal is a dairy bull that has been raised alone, though any bull penned alone for long periods can be dangerous. A bull will perform a broadside threat prior to attack (standing sideways to show his size and power) and you must back slowly away but never, ever, turn tail and run.

Any bull that performs a broadside threat to milkers is removed from a commercial dairy and certainly a mature bull that charges people must be culled.

I believe the bull in the Nottinghamshire tragedy (your report, 15 November) was a Swiss Brown and if that is the case I cannot understand why he was let loose in a field where ramblers cross.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews