Cows brought in to trim the grass and lay big cow pats are moo-ving on.

The cattle were put on Mill Hill, north of Shoreham, to clip the grass, eat up dead vegetation and fertilize the ground with their pats.

Bosses at South Downs Joint Committee (SDJC), who got the cows in, said they have done a great job and are now putting them in another field but will bring them back later in the year to really milk their potential.

Andy Gattiker, SDJC reserve manager, said: "The cattle have done a wonderful job in the short time they have been on this reserve.

"Their grazing has produced a nice uneven grass height that creates ideal habitats for a wide variety of insects, they also helped to pull up excess dead vegetation from the grassland.

"Even their cow pats are extremely beneficial, providing food and shelter for up to 1000 different species of insect.

"The cattle have been moved off the reserve now to allow the chalk grassland plants to flower and set seed without being eaten. But they will be back in late September to graze the summerís growth."