A notorious herd of hungry goats will be allowed the freedom to stampede into the gardens of a seaside town - after council chiefs ruled they can do nothing to contain the animals' nuisance behaviour.

Furious neighbours wanted a clamp down on the mischievous animals causing havoc when they wander from their mountainside home.

But a council report states it is landowners’ responsibility to protect themselves from the roaming Kashmiri goats.

And some wanted fences, enforced contraception or even shooting to control the pesky goats invading the Welsh seaside town of Llandudno.

The goats have been devouring garden hedges, munching flowers, running wild in the streets and even fighting in supermarket car parks.

But council chiefs say the animals are not their responsibility because they are roaming free - and landowners are responsible for protecting their own gardens and plots.

The report reads: “The goats of Llandudno have roamed in a wild state for over 100 years and were originally a gift to Lord Mostyn from Queen Victoria.

“The goats have reverted to a wild state and are therefore now regarded as wild animals.

“No one person or organisation is legally responsible for the goat populations of Llandudno, and they may only become someone’s property if they are ‘confined’.”

Safety concerns

More than 200 of the goats regularly leave the Great Orme headland in the town to wander down into the streets.

The report from Conwy Council said: “As the goats are feral animals, it is therefore not the council’s legal responsibility to keep the goats on the Great Orme by way of fencing or ‘containment’.

“If damage is being caused to adjoining properties, the onus is therefore on those property owners to keep the goats out. A landowner has a legal entitlement to act on behalf of an animal’s welfare if a wild animal is in distress whilst on their land.”

Safety concerns have previously been raised after the animals suffered injuries when being hit by traffic.

One local said: “Although it is lovely to see them, there is concern about their safety crossing roads etc.

“Great Orme security does need to improve.”

The animals are descended from goats from the mountains of Kashmir and were given to Llandudno as a gift from Queen Victoria.