Police have urgently appealed to the public for more information after eighteen sheep were deliberately run over and killed in Warwickshire.
Three sheep were found dead in a field at Barton Crossroads in Honeybourne Road, Bidford-on-Avon on March 6, Warwickshire police said.
A further eight ewes were then found dead in the same field (March 11), and another seven were severely injured and had to be euthanised by a vet.
The police believe the animals were deliberately run over by a vehicle.
Rural crime officer Carol Cotterill warned the incident was ‘very distressing’ and had caused the farmer to be ‘shaken and upset’.
She said: “Unfortunately, we do believe this to be a deliberate act and we are treating these offences very seriously.
“We are currently working with the RSPCA to identify the circumstances of the incident.”
George Bostock, Warwickshire county adviser for the NFU reinforced the incident was ‘abhorrent’, adding:
“Those farmers who have been affected will be devastated and the wider farming community is extremely concerned at the scale of rural crimes more broadly.
“The NFU is calling on local farmers to be the eyes and ears of the police and report anything suspicious.”
Anyone who has any information, or witnessed any suspicious vehicles or behaviour in this location over the past week, has been urged to inform police by calling 101 and to refer to incident number 47 of March 11, 2020.
Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.