Stray goats leave council gruff

Stray goats are a safety issue since the outbreak of foot and mouth

A Berkshire council became part of the nanny state - after finding itself responsible for two stray goats.

A passer-by found the pygmy goats running wild in woods in White Waltham, Maidenhead, and called the RSPCA after cajoling the animals into an empty stable nearby.

The pair were not ear-tagged, leaving their owner's identity a mystery.

But trading standards officers from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have found them a new home with a local farmer.

Since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, council trading standards departments have had more responsibility for the movements of goats and other farm animals.

Steve Johnson, trading standards manager, said: "There are strict rules about the identification and movement of all farm animals, designed to prevent outbreaks of disease and to ensure only healthy animals enter the food chain.

"In the wake of foot and mouth it is vital that the identification and movement of farm animals around the country is properly controlled and we are grateful to the local resident who called us."