DEER in Bushy Park are becoming far too friendly with the public and the generous sharing of picnics is proving a hazard to both parties.

The animals are so accustomed to receiving food from park visitors that they now help themselves and pester people for snacks. This is bad for the deer - as being herbivores they are unable to digest many of items - and it also endangers the public.

A Royal Parks wildlife officer said: "People must remember that these are wild animals and are not domestic pets. They may look cute and cuddly but they can turn nasty."

Feeding the deer is illegal under Royal Parks regulations as it can be extremely dangerous. The bucks and stags (male fallow and red deer) often become aggressive when competing for food, using their antlers to 'butt' each other. This behaviour increases in late September during the rut - when the male deer fight for territory and females as the mating season approaches. The deer can be very protective and visitors are warned to keep well away at all times.

Litter is also a problem as deer will eat whatever they can find; an examination of a deer's stomach recently revealed rope, silver foil, string and yoghurt pots - which kill them in a slow and painful manner.

Problems also occur in Richmond Park, but Bushy Park is particularly bad with reports of the deer being fed ice cream, fried chicken and ham sandwiches. A Royal Parks wildlife officer explained: "People feeding the deer are not being as kind as they think they are; human food can make the deer very ill. Visitors should be aware everything the deer need is provided naturally."

Around 350 Red and Fallow deer live in Bushy Park - introduced by Henry VIII for hunting and remaining a popular attraction ever since. In addition to being a visual treat for thousands of visitors, grazing deer are the best way to maintain acid grassland, a priority habitat under the UK Bio-diversity Action Plan (BAP).