The ongoing issue of dog attacks, both on people and livestock, was subject to debate in Scottish Parliament earlier this week.

The particular issue of livestock worrying was raised by several members and it was said that across Scotland last year there was a total of 175 reported cases of sheep worrying with only 19 convictions made.

Elizabeth Smith MSP for the Conservative Party was among others in stressing the need for a full debate on the subject.

She said: “We need to raise public awareness of what has been happening across the countryside. Farmers are virtually unanimous in wanting a full debate about the respective merits of licensing, microchipping and DNA sampling, in order to help the police to convict guilty parties.”