Death at the deer park

The antlers of a stag protrude from the icy lake – one of several deer to have perished at Whitworth Hall, near Spennymoor, as the big freeze continues to grip Britain.

Families who went to see the animals at the weekend were confronted with the sight of at least eight deer that had fallen to their deaths through the ice.

Parents, who visited the park with children, spoke of their shock, with one saying: “We came especially to see the deer because the kids think this is where Santa’s reindeer live.”

And last night the RSPCA said the situation was being examined to see if anything could be done after the charity took a number of calls.

But North-East botanist Phil Gates said it was a tragic but inevitable consequence of the arctic conditions.

Horror as children see park deer frozen to death in lake

SOME were oblivious to the sad scene as they strolled past the ornamental lake in the winter sunshine. Others, suddenly realising what lay below the frozen surface, quickly ushered children away.

Several visitors to Whitworth Hall Country Park, near Spennymoor, County Durham, were clearly upset once they realised the bumps on the surface were the frozen carcasses of at least eight deer.

Their fresh hoof marks could be seen leading to where they crashed through the ice to their deaths.

John Thomas, from Bishop Auckland, who was visiting the 73-acre deer park – open free to the public – with his wife, Sophie, and children Jack, six, and Caitlin, four, said: “We came especially to see the deer because the kids think this is where Santa’s reindeer live during the year before he comes to collect them for Christmas Eve.

“It was a bit of a shock to arrive and see so many of them trapped in the lake. “Fortunately, my kids didn’t notice because they (the carcasses) are quite far out and there are plenty that are still alive that they can look at.”

One woman, who asked not to be named, was visiting Santa’s grotto with her eight-year-old son in the grounds of hotel – once the family seat of Robert Shafto – immortalised in the folk song Bonny Bobby Shafto.

She said: “My son was distressed and we did not feel comfortable. It was an awful sight and nothing seemed to have been done about it.

“I don’t think they should have let the children continue to feed the deer at the Santa Claus event when you could see the dead ones frozen in the lake.”

Louise Philips, from Spennymoor, was attending a family lunch that included children Amy, seven, Thomas, five, and Maisie, two. She said: “It is sad, but I don’t suppose they could stop them going out on to the lake.

“It wouldn’t be right to put people’s lives at risk to go and rescue them. We haven’t told the kids – it would upset them, but they’ve been distracted by the ones that are still here.”

Park staff were unavailable for comment yesterday, but earlier this month, manager Alan Lax described how the snow and freezing conditions had turned the lake into a death trap for the deer.

“We have put hay bales and food down to pull them away from the lake but, because the park is white and the lake is white, they don’t see a difference and walk across.”

He said that it would be impossible to fence off the lake and attempts to break up the ice were futile as the lake quickly re-froze.

A spokeswoman for the RSCPA told The Northern Echo it had taken several calls from concerned members of the public and an inspector was examining the situation.

She said: “I believe contact has been made with the owners of the park. The charity has to prioritise living animals which are in dire straits over animals which have already perished.”

Botanist Phil Gates, who writes for The Northern Echo, said: “This kind of tragedy does happen with wild animals. “Sometimes, when lakes freeze, the water level underneath the ice drops down, making the ice on top even more fragile. “Lighter animals such as rabbits and foxes can get across, but anything as heavy as a deer will go through.”