Council plea to find ‘reckless’ paramotor pilots

A council in England is appealing to the public to help identify three paramotor pilots whose low flying they say led to the death of a young foal.

In a statement Oxford City Council said there have been two “serious incidents” involving powered paragliders “disturbing livestock on Port Meadow”. Port Meadow is one of the largest open spaces in the north of Oxford, the famous university city, and is a flood plain of the River Thames and home to cattle, horses and wildfowl. 

The statement reads: “On 10 April a powered paraglider was seen flying low and erratically over the Meadow, causing distress to a group of horses. Tragically, a young foal was injured during this incident. Despite the best efforts of those caring for it, the foal did not recover from its injuries and has since been put to sleep.

“A second incident occurred on 20 April, at approximately 7.30pm, when three paragliders were seen swooping low and noisily over the Meadow, causing further distress to the animals on site. Witnesses reported that the horses were visibly panicked, running erratically around the area in fear.”

Oxford council’s deputy chief executive Tim Hook said: “These reckless actions have not only caused significant distress to the animals and local residents but may have also resulted in the tragic and avoidable loss of a foal. We are asking those responsible to stop this dangerous behaviour immediately, and for the public’s help in identifying them.

“The safety of the animals, residents, and visitors to Port Meadow is of utmost importance, and we will continue to work closely with the police and community to prevent further incidents.”

The council said both incidents have been reported to Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Team, which is now gathering evidence. “The matter is being taken extremely seriously, and legal action will be pursued against those responsible.”

The statement added: “We are urging anyone with information about these incidents, or who may know the identity of the individuals involved, to come forward. Please report any relevant details to the Police Rural Crime Team by calling 101.”

Paramotor and paraglider pilots are trained from day one not to fly low or close to people and livestock. Horses, cattle and sheep can be easily spooked, leading them to act erratically and potentially injure themselves, other animals or people.