There are fears cattle could be injured or killed as a result of rubbish being dumped at beauty spots in Kent.

Rangers from Kent Wildlife Trust say there has been a rise in litter strewn across grazing areas, most recently at Heather Corrie Vale nature reserve in Darenth Valley.

The charity has released pictures of cows among the waste.

Conservation grazing ranger Jess Allam explained: “I have taken to carrying litter bags with me because we are being faced with increased rubbish daily.

“It poses a real risk to our grazing animals; they have healthy appetites and will have a chomp at most things as they cannot decipher rubbish from food.

“If they consume litter, they can get incredibly sick, the ponies could suffer a colic attack which could kill them, or they could require expensive veterinary care.

“There is the additional risk of injury from glass bottles and cans that are left behind for us to collect.”

Several animals have been injured by discarded rubbish in the past, including a Highland cow that was left severely lame after a broken beer bottle was found wedged in its hoof.

In another case, a discarded roller skate wheel became lodged in the horns of a cow who needed sedation to remove it.

The animals in the care of the trust are checked daily by a group of volunteers, wardens and conservation grazing rangers.

They look out for any welfare issues including back lameness, illness, broken fences and other safety issues.

They are spending more and more time collecting litter to make sure it’s not eaten by grazing animals or any other wildlife.

Kent Wildlife Trust is appealing for volunteers to help clean up the rubbish at the Kent nature reserve on Friday, February 23. More information can be found here.

Jess added: “These are big sites and though we check them every day, it is easy to miss them if you are not in the right spot – it not only poses a danger to our grazing animals but other wildlife in the area.

“We are having to invest more and more time and money into clean-up operations, and we would prefer to put our efforts into helping wildlife and improving the visitor experience on our sites so everyone can get the opportunity to connect with nature.”