THE FORESTRY Commission's chief keeper has admitted that a cull of more than a third of the New Forest's fallow deer population is currently taking place.

Martin Noble said that marksmen would be killing 762 fallow deer from an estimated 1,903 strong population.

Mr Noble, who is also a Forest commoner, said that whilst the Commission always carried out an annual cull the nature of the operation had changed over the last decade, from seeking to maintain the population, to taking steps to reduce numbers.

Over the next few years the Commission hope to reduce the fallow deer population to approximately 1,200.

Mr Noble cited: 'damage to tree crops and unacceptable pressure on the environment as a whole,' as primary reasons for the policy.

He added that the deer were in competition for food with the New Forest ponies whose population the Commission was unable to control.

Mr Noble also said that the deer had no natural predators and could starve should their numbers substantially rise.

He further claimed that since the dramatic measures were introduced road accidents involving deer had been significantly reduced. Other factors which had been considered by the Forestry Commission when increasing the cull were the risk to other wildlife posed by the rising deer population.

After they have been shot the deer carcasses are taken to game larders and then sold on to game dealers.