WILD Boar dug up the approaches to Soudley School on Monday, but staff have already decided they may have to halt weekly 'welly walks' in the woods because of the risk of confrontations.

"We are aware of the boar's presence in the Forest and our weekly welly walks have been compromised," says head teacher Saron Hetenyi.

"We think twice about taking the children out because to be in the Forest with over 20 young children and the potential of boar approaching the group would be a risk."

She said a couple of years ago the boar had turned over the school field three times.

"This resulted in substantial cost to the school to have proper pig-wire fencing installed."

The school wasn't the only focus of the pigs' attention in the village. Resident Ewart Lochard, who lives nearby, had a grassed area outside his home demolished.

"They have even run out when parents are bringing their children to school," he said.

"I think it is getting out of hand and they need to be more strictly controlled."

Meanwhile in Gloucester Road in the middle

of Coleford, Graham Taswell was shocked and heartbroken when he saw the damage caused by wild boar outside his home.

Keen gardener Mr Taswell, 82, does not own the piece of ground but pays £8 a week for somebody to come and keep it in order.

He said: "I was so upset I shed a tear over it.

"It's an absolute disaster zone. I don't own the land and I can't do anything about it myself."

Neighbour John Davies said: "Graham's garden is always immaculate – you could have a picnic on there.

"He keeps the area in front of the house looking nice but it is terrible what the boar have done."

A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council, which owns the land, said: "The boar do a significant amount of damage to highway verges throughout the Forest, and we always make sure any debris on the roads or pavement is moved and the area tidied up.

"However, it's not possible for us to reinstate all of the damage back to its original state as it would be too expensive."

A Forestry Commission spokesman said on Monday that a cull of just 100 animals across the Forest was under way. Shooting would continue to January and they would naturally concentrate on problem areas.

"The large numbers of boar are a direct result of not shooting any since last December," she said. "The population has had nine months to breed and grow."