Goldsmith’s pooches land him in a pack of trouble...

Forget about his herd of red deer which have destroyed crops on neighbouring farms and denuded precious grazing.

Financier and eco- crusader Ben goldsmith is now beset by fresh howls of anguish – provoked, this time, by his lurcher hunting dogs.

Indeed, I can disclose that locals who use the public footpath close to goldsmith’s beautiful Queen Anne mansion on his 250-acre Somerset estate have posted a string of distressed comments on social media, warning of the danger.

‘Vicious dogs live in the house along this path,’ says Jo Vooght, explaining that, while walking in a family group which included her five- year- old great niece, two lurchers bounded towards them and terrorised their dog.

‘I assume it was staff from the house who came out and tried to get the lurchers back. Before blood was drawn, the dogs came away and my daughter was able to pick up [our] dog, both shaking with fear. What a shame to allow aggressive dogs the freedom of a public footpath.’

theresa Preston has abandoned the footpath after a disturbing incident when out walking with her children. ‘our Jack russell was attacked in front of them and received a deep puncture. the children were traumatised and haven’t repeated the walk since.

What can we do to make them feel safe again?’ Celia Holland, who has also ceased using the path, agrees that lurchers ‘were the problem’, adding: ‘I had a dog with me who stood up to them but I was terrified they were going to pull him apart.’

goldsmith, 39, whose wife Jemima gave birth to their third child Vita Iris in April, is eager to placate them. ‘one of my dogs has had puppies,’ he tells me. ‘ She’s been overprotective when it comes to other dogs on the public footpath.

‘the puppies are gone and, now that the dog is undergoing a little bit of training, I think the problem should be past.’