Deer spotted in Hastings garden

The deer was spotted early on Monday morning in the garden of a house at High Wickham, in Hastings Old Town, which backs onto the East Hill and Hastings Country Park.

A number of people on the Save Ecclesbourne Glen Facebook group said that there are deer in the country park but they are mostly sighted at the Fairlight and Pett end of the park.

Peter Butchers said: "There has been a single deer spotted on numerous occasions in the country park.”

Muntjac are a small, stocky species of reddish brown deer. They were originally brought from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century and are now widespread in the south east and increasing in number.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, they are known to visit gardens and feed on a wide range of plants. They can strip flowers and foliage and damage tree bark.

Hastings Borough Council introduced a small herd of Exmoor ponies into the country park which, together with the belted Galloway cattle, form a mixed grazing system to help manage the wild hilly landscape of the glens.

Teams of heavy horses have also been used in the past to control bracken in the country park.

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