300-mile trip just to bring dog to heel!

A DOG warden had to make a 300-mile round trip to serve a control notice on a farmer whose collie kept chasing and biting cyclists.

Angela Taylor, who is based in Aviemore, Inverness-shire, travelled to the Isle of Skye after a series of complaints about Donald McPhee’s dog.

Portree Sheriff Court yesterday heard that the animal, called Nell, had been attacking people who cycled past her home.

Highland Council dog warden Miss Taylor, 42, said: ‘Nell had been chasing cyclists and nipping them on the buttocks, making them fearful.’

The court was told that between March and October, the sheepdog bit three local people and MacPhee, 63, who works on the Glendale Estate, failed to comply with the dog control notice.

He denied four charges against him but the court heard from three locals that they were chased and bitten by Nell. David Jones, 55, said: ‘I was cycling down the hill on my way home from work when a farm dog approached me from behind and bit me. There was a hole in my jeans and two puncture marks.’

Sheriff MacDonald dropped the charge of failing to comply with the dog control notice, but found MacPhee guilty of the three dog-bite charges.

Sentence was deferred for two months, with MacPhee ordered to keep Nell on a leash when not herding sheep and cattle.

MacPhee’s wife, Maggie, said: ‘The whole truth was not told in court today. Nell is a lovely, clever wee dog.’