ROAD collisions claimed the lives of five New Forest ponies last week, equal to the number killed on the area’s roads in the whole of December.

Ironically, the tragic toll follows hot on the heels of the Verderers’ announcement last week that in 2010 the total number of commoners’ stock involved in accidents was the lowest since records began in 1956.

One of the collisions happened in Burley Road, Brockenhurst, a stretch of road which has recently had nine pinch points installed in a bid to cut the number of animal accidents there following a campaign by the South Weirs Action Group for Safety.

Agister Robert Maton, who had to put down the badly injured bay filly, which was wearing a reflective collar, said the accident happened last Wednesday at 5.15pm when the road was busy with people returning from work.

“It was dry, clear and fine,” he said.

“There was probably a lot of traffic with dipped lights. They were probably driving at the speed limit, but that can be far too fast if you’ve got lights coming towards you.

“I’m not against that traffic calming at all, but it won’t stop you hitting a pony if you can’t see.

Action group spokesman Jean Smith said: “We were hoping we would stop all the accidents but realistically we knew we would have to accept the fact that we would only be reducing them,” she said.

Last week’s catalogue of accidents began on Tuesday evening when a mare was killed on the B3055 near Hatchet Pond, Beaulieu.

Shortly after Wednesday’s Burley Road collision, another filly had to be put down on the B3078 near Godshill.

An injured pony was also put down after it was involved in a hit-and-run collision at Rushy Flats on the B3080 on Friday and another hit-and-run collision led to another filly being put down on the B3054 at Hatchet Gate.