A PUBLIC appeal has been issued by a special school in a bid to stop thugs using their prized rare breed cattle for golf ball target practice.

The Dexter cow and her two calves were bought by Mowbray school in Bedale, North Yorkshire, to boost their award-winning farm which has helped transform the lives of many of its students.

But staff were appalled to hear reports of youths hitting golf balls towards the cattle before finding dozens of balls in the two fields at the back of the school where the animals graze.

“It is very upsetting and particularly nasty,” said headteacher Jonathan Tearle. “We chose the Dexter cattle, because they are quite a small rare breed and generally calm.

“We had noticed that they had been much more spooked and restless recently. It is a mother and two calves and obviously she is going to be particularly wary of anything or anyone hurting her calves.

“Farm manager Brian Goodwin found the golf balls where the cattle are kept and neighbours had seen young people hitting the balls over. It can’t be an accident, the sheer number of golf balls is just too many.

“We encourage the children to work with them, so they need to be calm. We also have horses in the neighbouring field, it is very concerning because we have never had problems in the past.

“Occasionally people may go over the field as a cut through but we have not been affected by things like this before,” he added.

The school which cares for over 150 youngsters aged from three to 16 with special educational needs established the farm and wildlife area five years ago.

Since then it has won many awards including prizes at the Great Yorkshire Show and featuring in a special BBC programme for children.

Pupils attend from all over the region including North Yorkshire, Teesside, Darlington and Leeds because of the special care on offer at the school.

The farm has dozens of animals including, sheep and lambs, hens, pigs, turkeys and ponies as well as their own greenhouses and vegetable plots to help the children develop care and respect for animals and each other.

Working with the animals also helps foster team work and promote personal skills while working in the environment.

Mr Tearle added: “It is a very precious place for us. The children get an awful lot out of the farm. It’s a very important part of the school, and the lessons learned by so many of the children through it are crucial.

“Many of our sheep are expecting lambs in the next few weeks, and we want to make sure they are looked after and kept safe.

“We’re asking people in the town to help us protect our animals and keep them safe, so if anyone sees them being harmed or targeted I would ask them to call the police, or get in touch with the school.”