Cannock Chase ranger's deer crash speed warning

A forest ranger of 30 years has stressed that motorists must drive slower than 40mph and visitors must not feed the deer.

Graham Barrett has already counted 75 collisions between vehicles and deer this year, including 19 fawns.

He said bucks and does are even more active during the autumn mating season, adding: "Even at 40mph you need your wits about you to stop in time."

Mr Barrett and his Staffordshire County Council colleagues have put up additional signs warning drivers to slow down.

Mr Barrett described his role as the “absolute perfect job”, having previously worked underground as a miner for 16 years.

But he said his "heart sinks" when responding to collisions with the 150-200 deer that were killed on the county's roads each year.

Deer can be easily spotted from the roads through Cannock Chase

He pleaded with drivers to adhere to “curb the speed,” adding: “Just be aware of anything stepping out onto the highways.”

From September to December, the bucks and does mate, meaning more deer venture onto the roads, particularly at dawn and dusk.

Mr Barrett explained that if drivers do hit a deer, they must call the police on 999 to be transferred to his team of rangers.

He recommended calling 101 when finding a dead or injured deer by the roadside.

More deer spotted grazing by the roadside

Visitors have been spotted feeding the deer from their cars, something Mr Barrett said put the animals in great danger.

“They lose all the inhibitions, they lose all the fear and they associate cars with food,” he explained.

“They’ll happily approach a car in search of a few tidbits, and that's where we start getting deer-vehicle collisions.”

Staffordshire County Council echoed Mr Barrett’s requests and advised that motorists be prepared to stop, avoid sudden swerving and be ready to dip their lights when meeting a deer in the road.

The authority said full beam lights could cause the deer to freeze and make them difficult to avoid.