A 10-YEAR-OLD boy received a shock after touching an electric fence which had no warning signs attached. James Leigh, from Royston, was out with his grandmother walking her dog on Therfield Heath when the incident happened. James s grandmother Helen Leigh

A 10-YEAR-OLD boy received a shock after touching an electric fence which had no warning signs attached.

James Leigh, from Royston, was out with his grandmother walking her dog on Therfield Heath when the incident happened.

James's grandmother Helen Leigh said: "The dog went under the fence and as she tried to come back through she yelped.

"James grabbed the three strings on the fence to let her back through, but he got a shock that went from his hand right down to his hip."

Mrs Leigh had to use a branch to lift up the fence to let her dog back through.

"A lot of people walk their dogs up there and there are no signs anywhere saying that it is an electric fence.

"It was bad enough that it was a 10-year-old let alone if it was a small child.

"There should be signs dotted all along that fence."

Mrs Leigh added: "I thought it would just be a tingle but James was still complaining 15 minutes later and he's not the sort of child to go on about things like that.

"He turned to me and said 'Nanny I don't like this place anymore', that's a sad thing to hear."

Robert Law, of Thrift Farm, owns the electric fences. He said: "We did put notices up but they got vandalised and removed so often that we don't do it anymore.

"We've had sheep up on the Heath for three or four years now, and most people are aware there is an electrified fence.

"We do still put up notices warning people about the sheep, but again they get vandalised and broken.