Walkers have spoken of their distress after a young deer was killed by a dog in Richmond Park at the weekend.

The attack happened just after 9am on Saturday morning (September 12) as dog walkers, joggers and cyclists took an early trip out into the fresh air.

The Royal Parks have confirmed that a young deer was killed in the attack and repeated previous warnings to dog owners to keep their pets under control. Police are investigating.

The harrowing incident has reignited concerns about the behaviour of dog owners and their pets and whether there is a need for new laws to require them to use leads at all times.

Many visitors have been alarmed that people seem to treat the park as some sort of petting zoo, even feeding the deer, which can be dangerous and is in breach of Royal Parks guidelines to keep a distance of 50m from the animals.

St Margarets resident Alan Williams posted his eyewitness account of the attack online under the heading Dog Killing Deer in Richmond Park.

He wrote: "We witnessed - this morning - a dog attack and kill a young deer in Richmond Park. The dog was some type of Irish Wolfhound cross breed.

"Another witness tried to intervene, whilst the dog owner stood by passively, but was unable to stop the fatal attack. The Police and Park Rangers were called and we trust that the matter will be dealt with appropriately. We have photos ourselves that we will provide to the Police.

"This was very distressing. Richmond Park has protected status as an important habitat for wildlife and is a National Nature Reserve. It is not a dog playground or a killing field and we all should and need to respect this."

The incident happened at around 9.15 am on Saturday in a wooded gully close to the inner road running from Kingston gate to Richmond gate, not far from the Isabella Plantation.

Mr Williams, who posted details on Nextdoor, said he had "some sympathy" for the dog owner who at least took responsibility and remained at the site waiting for the Park Rangers to arrive.

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In response to the original post, one person wrote: "I find this so upsetting to hear.

"I hope the Police sanction the dog owner... All dogs should be wearing a muzzle in Richmond Park and should be on a lead, so [its] owner can control it."

Another said: "Terrible to read. Hope the owner is prosecuted."

A third said: "What happened is horrific but jumping on the all dogs should be banned or muzzled bandwagon is just a massive overreaction. I hope the owner is prosecuted - as I would expect to be if either of my dogs did this."

The attack has echoes of an infamous incident in November 2011 when a dog called Fenton was captured on video chasing a herd of deer.

The video, featuring the dog's exasperated owner shouting for Fenton to return, has been watched more than 22 million times on social media. It later emerged that Fenton was a retired labrador guide dog.

Park manager statement

According to the Royal Parks, some 3-4 deer are killed by dogs each year in Richmond Park and another 2-3 after being spooked by them and running in front of cars.

Simon Richards, park manager for Richmond Park, said: 'We can confirm that on Saturday morning a young deer in Richmond Park was attacked by a dog and sadly died. The police attended the scene and took the details of the man walking the dog, and a full investigation is underway.

"We take the welfare of our deer very seriously. Our message is clear; if you cannot control your dog then always ensure it is on a lead. Otherwise dog walkers may face prosecution.

"If you witness a dog chasing a deer, immediately call the on-call police for Richmond and Bushy Parks on 07920 586546."

Under the Royal Parks regulations: 'No person using a Park shall... cause or permit any animal or bird of which he is in charge to chase, worry or injure any other animal or bird.'

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