



A Rhondda man has been injured by a falling sheep as he left The Pont Newydd Medical Centre in Porth.

Hayden Shepherd of Rickards Street, Porth, was leaving the medical centre following a routine blood test when he was hit on the head by a falling sheep. The sheep was one of a small herd that had been living on the roof of the building in an attempt by the building owners to keep the grass growth under control.

Mr Shepard’s injuries are not thought to be life threatening thanks to quick thinking by medical centre staff, who spotted a cancellation in the surgery’s appointment book and he only had to wait 35 minutes to see a doctor.

Unfortunately Mary the sheep died instantly at the scene.

The Medical Centre has been designed to be eco-friendly and has a natural, living, green roof made from sedum which provides important microclimates for insects, bird life and other species including sheep. The green roof also significantly reduces the need for air conditioning and provides a degree of insulation in winter.

Spokesperson, Barbara Shaun from the NHS Trust said, “The Health and Safety Executive have looked into the issue, and we (The Trust) were found not to be at fault. However, they have told us that we must put a sheep pen on the roof to stop them wandering off the edge.”

The ex-caretaker of the medical centre, Jeffrey Shears who used to mow the roof and was made redundant earlier in the year, told My Rhondda News, “It’s absolutely ridiculous really, this was an accident waiting to happen. I told them before I left that they needed to erect a fence or someone would get hurt.”

Mr Shears continued, “Thing is it’s false economy, since letting me go, they’ve had to employ someone to pick up all the sheep shit.”

Copyright © My Rhondda News 2015, 2016