A RESIDENT expressed her concern for the welfare of the goats on the East Cliff, as Storm Ciara and Dennis hit Dorset over consecutive weekends.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the goats had very little shelter and looked to be huddling together to stay warm.

She said: “In Boscombe they are quite protected. The goats here, they have got nowhere.

“The guy that owns them is from the New Forest, he just plonked them there.

“We drove up there on Sunday and they were huddled in bushes. I have got quite incensed by this.

“I thought they weren’t going there until spring.”

The seven Boer goats are on the cliff to graze and manage the natural habitat, heathland and acid grassland.

The fencing, which was initially erected in November, caused a lot of controversy and after concerns from residents, the height was reduced to 1.2 metres.

“Everyone is whinging about the fencing, but I am more concerned about the goats,” she continued.

“I think the goats will get hurt.”

A spokesperson for BCP Council said: “The welfare of all our grazing animals is of paramount importance to us and they are checked on a daily basis, with any required veterinary care administered as quickly as possible.

“We can reassure local residents that there are no welfare issues resulting from the recent bad weather. The goats are used to living outdoors in all weathers and they have plenty of natural shelter.”

The inspector at the RSPCA said it was a suitable location and environment for the goats with no concerns.

The goat scheme is part of the council’s commitment to their climate and ecological emergency and see this as “an opportunity to restore and enhance the special natural features of the cliffs in a sustainable way”.

British feral goats have been grazing an area of the cliff at Honeycombe Chine in Boscombe and the council said the area has benefitted from an increase in butterflies and lizards, grass cover and native grassland habitats. If the goats start to overgraze, they will be moved to another compartment, one of nine along the cliff.