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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Nino Williams

The sad explanation behind the red flags placed around Gower

Scores of red flags have been placed across Gower, clearly visible to drivers as they navigate the area's twisty and narrow roads.

And according to the people who placed them there, drivers should take particular note of them.

Because the flags mark the spots of incidents they are determined to stamp out.

They show the locations where animals have died after coming into collision with vehicles, and number 103 - the figure for animal deaths on the peninsula over the past 18 months.

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Gower commons safety action group has placed the flags as it continues to raise awareness of the threat to wildlife from traffic, in particular speeding vehicles.

Red flags have been placed around Gower (Elin Carter)
Flags representing animals that have been killed close to the bus stop near Lunnon (Gower Commons Safety Action Group)
Traffic driving carefully around a horse blocking part of the roadway in Gower (Jonathan Myers)
(Jonathan Myers)

Group co-founder Sam Hughes said: “We got in touch with all the farmers we could to get information on how many of their animals have been killed, and the number is horrific.

“A lot of the farmers feel very deflated.

“It is all sorts of animals that are killed including sheep, cows, and horses.

“There is a huge problem with it on the commons. It is quite shocking to see a pattern in certain areas.

“But there are no signs to say there are free roaming animals, and something needs to be done about that.”

Many of the animals on Gower lay down close to the road (Jonathan Myers)
Another red flag on Gower (Gower Commons Safety Action Group)
The group says 103 animals have been killed by vehicles on Gower in the past 18 months (Gower Commons Safety Action Group)

The flags follow a number of makeshift signs which were installed across Gower , calling on drivers to slow down on common land.

The signs, saying 'speed kills', 'slow down' and 'animals crossing' were later removed by people unknown .

There have also been reports some of the red flags have also since been removed.

Hot spots for collisions on Gower roads include near the cattle grid on Cefn Bryn, the highest peak on Gower.

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