Visitors to New Forest to be fined up to £1,000 for petting ponies

New Forest ponies being fed by the public are becoming more aggressive, locals say. Photograph: Chris Owen-Hughes

Visitors to the New Forest face being fined up to £1,000 for petting ponies and for lighting campfires and barbecues, as part of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour.

The new rules, approved by New Forest district council, ban the petting and feeding of animals out of concern for their wellbeing and to prevent them from becoming aggressive.