FORESTER Fraser Bradbury is warning that deliberate damage to a cattle fence in Savernake Forest will sooner or later cause a road tragedy.

A section of the barbed wire fence was cut before Easter and another 200 metre length was cut at every post after the weekend.

Mr Bradbury said: "As soon as we heard the fence had been cut someone from English Nature rushed over with an electric fence to make sure the cattle did not get out."

The grazing cattle were introduced as a joint experiment between Forest Enterprise, which leases much of the Marlborough forest from the Savernake Estate, and English Nature.

Its purpose is to try to re-establish traditional methods of maintaining the forest whereby cattle keep down the undergrowth and open up the areas beneath the trees.

The experimental fenced area is a triangular piece of land bordered on one side by the A4 that has a national speed limit of 60mph.

Mr Bradbury said: "If one of the cows had got out onto the road and had been hit by a car we could well have been dealing with a fatality. We have no idea why the wire is being cut but all I say to the vandals is to stop now before it leads to a tragedy."