THE erection of a fenced corridor on part of Red Court Estate in Scotland Lane, allocated for 50 houses, has come under fire for causing animal cruelty.

Members of the 250-strong Haslemere South Residents’ Association (HSRA) upset by “repeated incidents” involving deer trapped, injured and distressed by the newly-erected fencing have reported them both to the landowner, prospective developer Redwood and to the RSPCA.

HSRA consulted wildlife experts who said deer will jump eight feet to follow their “historic paths” and the fencing erected at just over six feet was dangerous, because the deer could jump into the corridor but became trapped and distressed because they didn’t have enough space to “run up” and jump out.

Group spokesman Harold Brown said: “Redwood’s corridor fences are an irresponsible design and represent cruelty to wildlife, enticing deer into the corridor as their historic path is cut. Why is the fence there, if it in effect serves only to act as a cruel device to entrap and distress deer?

“The experts consulted questioned why, if Redwood claim the forest corridor is important to protect their planted saplings, they had not used use anti-deer tree tubes which are solid translucent plastic (single use) to a set height.

“The light and shape of the tube actually encourages better growth and they are used widely in other Surrey parks.

“HSRA informed Redwood’s land management of the plight of the deer, but they have taken no remedial action to date.”