ALLEGATIONS that sheep grazing on the Malvern Hills were waging guerrilla warfare in local gardens and putting the police to expense and trouble were being made 50 years ago.

According to the Gazette, Malvern Hills Conservators set up a special sub-committee to look at the problem.

An Upper Colwall resident had written in, saying he was finding it difficult to grow anything at all in his garden "because of depredations by sheep which descended upon it in herds, broke the hedges and even leapt over them".

Mr Ballard, an outspoken member of the Conservators, said that some sheep owners did not know how to look after their sheep and didn't care either.

"They make money because these animals feed off other people's gardens," he said, further alleging that the owners did not bother to mark their sheep or obey foot-and-mouth restrictions.

He said that a warden, or "a Scots shepherd with dogs", should be hired to patrol the hills.

In the same issue of the paper, a Hereford resident wrote in to complain about the "desecration" of British Camp with litter.

"There were ice cream papers, cartons, bottles and dozens of empty, rusty cans everywhere," wrote G A Johnston.

The theme was taken up by editor Joyce King, who contrasted the English unfavourably with the French, who "are remarkably tidy, and the way they carefully collect and take home their debris is an example to the world".

"Tidiness, like most virtues may not be easy to acquire, but with thought and effort it can become a personal and national habit," she said.