Following the death of a dog walker in a field of cattle earlier this week, what can be done to reduce the risks of such accidents?

There are actions that both that the public and farmers can take to reduce the risks of injuries or worse from livestock.

In the past five years, 32 people in the UK have been killed by animals, 22 of which were cattle and 10 of which were bulls.

There is clear advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and from walking organisations on how to keep farmers and the public safe in regards to livestock.

For walkers, after paying attention to signs hung by livestock owners, perhaps the most important point to remember is to let dogs go if cattle run threaten them.

It is the dog that the cows will be most interested in and the dog is better placed to run clear of trouble than the person is.

The Ramblers Association advises walkers to be on the lookout for animals when entering a field and if spotted, to watch how they are behaving.

People should avoid getting between cows and their calves and are advised to walk around a herd.

Dogs should be kept under control on short leads.

If the worse happens and cows become threatening, walkers should not run as the cows are most likely to stop before they reach the person.

The HSE has clear guidelines for livestock owners with fields with public rights of way across them.

They should not keep bulls of recognised dairy breeds in fields with footpaths.

The temperament any cattle kept in fields with public access should be assessed. Any animals with a history of aggression should be removed from the group, as should those which may be aggressive because of, for example, illness or young calves.

If beef stock bulls are kept in fields with footpaths across them, the bulls should be accompanied by female stock and there should be clear signs indicating their presence.

Sometimes, the HSE says, it may be better to temporarily fence rights of way so that cattle cannot access them, if it is temporarily practical to do so.