I have a field with a lovely ox-bow stream in it. It is five miles from my house and is also the home of the Shetland ponies in the summer months. We moved the ponies out today to another field.
The local children, on their way home from school, are playing in the stream - building dams, digging into the stream banks (which is eroding it rapidly).
Yes, it is lovely the kids are not on their iPads but my stream is taking a battering and having the flow diverted with rocks, etc causes flooding when it rains and more erosion of the banks. Fences are now beginning to be affected too.
So, how do I stop the children going in? I want to put a sign up but not sure what, legally, I can say. In Scotland there is no such thing as trespass law.
I did talk to the school (primary) and they did talk to the children with good results but that was over a year ago so it is another lot of kids playing. It is a village tradition that children play in this stream. Usually, though, they have never dared go in anyone's field.
Obviously, I will go to the school and have a word but their argument is that it is not in school time so really none of their business.
(I am sorely tempted to electrify the fence, but I would have to buy another energiser which is costly and annoying).
Help, thoughts, please.
The local children, on their way home from school, are playing in the stream - building dams, digging into the stream banks (which is eroding it rapidly).
Yes, it is lovely the kids are not on their iPads but my stream is taking a battering and having the flow diverted with rocks, etc causes flooding when it rains and more erosion of the banks. Fences are now beginning to be affected too.
So, how do I stop the children going in? I want to put a sign up but not sure what, legally, I can say. In Scotland there is no such thing as trespass law.
I did talk to the school (primary) and they did talk to the children with good results but that was over a year ago so it is another lot of kids playing. It is a village tradition that children play in this stream. Usually, though, they have never dared go in anyone's field.
Obviously, I will go to the school and have a word but their argument is that it is not in school time so really none of their business.
(I am sorely tempted to electrify the fence, but I would have to buy another energiser which is costly and annoying).
Help, thoughts, please.