A VET has been trampled to death by a herd of cows as she walked her dogs in the Dales.

The woman, 49 of the Warrington area, was believed to have been on a weekend break in Wensleydale when the accident happened as she walked her pets on a stretch of the Pennine Way, outside the hamlet of Gayle, near Hawes.

North Yorkshire Police said the herd of cattle and calves became aggressive after seeing the woman's brown and white spaniel and collie-type dog as they were being walked on leads through a field.

A spokesman said officers were called at about 12.20pm on Sunday after reports of a "commotion" in the field.

"The lady appeared to have been trampled by the herd of cows and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene," he said.

Today, a spokeswoman from the National Farmers' Union said attacks such as these were "very rare" but that walkers should be aware of the dangers.

She said: "What happened at the weekend was a tragic, dreadful incident and must have been a terrifying experience but we do need to realise that rarely is anybody killed or even injured.

"Tens of thousands of people are out walking in the Yorkshire Dales in the summer without any incident at all and it is important people don't think the countryside is off-limits or be particularly afraid when out walking."

The spokeswoman continued: "By and large cows are very docile and 99 per cent of the time they ignore you and get on with grazing and are not bothered.

"Just occasionally, they will decide they feel threatened, particularly if you have got a dog and they have got a calf and they become over-protective. Sometimes, as seen at the weekend, they can get aggressive."

The spokeswoman advised people to walk around cows grazing on footpaths, to let dogs off leads if cattle start to take an interest and to leave the field by the nearest exit in that situation.

"It's just a matter of having your wits about you and keeping an eye on what's happening," she said.

The spokeswoman said it would be "impossible" to keep livestock and people apart in areas like the Yorkshire Dales, where most fields are crossed by footpaths, but that farmers would isolate any animals that appeared aggressive or dangerous.

Police today said the accident was being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.

The two dogs were said to be uninjured and were being looked after in kennels.