Ninety-four sheep stolen in second Dorset farm raid
Thieves have stolen 32 ewes and 62 lambs from a field in Dorset, just days after a similar raid on a nearby farm.
The latest theft happened on Saturday or Sunday near Wimborne, police said. It is being investigated for possible links to a raid on Tuesday night at Child Okeford, in which 50 pregnant ewes were taken. PC Maddy Dysterre-Clark from Dorset Police said the second raid was "understandably likely to cause concern in the rural community". Police appealed for suspicious sightings of 4x4 vehicles or trailers, after tyre tracks were reportedly found at the scene in Mill Lane. The Suffolk sheep were taken between 12:00 BST on Saturday and 13:15 BST on Sunday. 'Considerable distress' The previous raid happened at a field in Hayward's Lane, Child Okeford, 13 miles (21km) away. In total, 150 white-faced Lleyn and black-faced North of England Mule sheep were in the field. All the sheep were tagged. The "heavily pregnant" ewes were last seen at about 18:00 BST on Tuesday. PC Rob Hammond previously said: "This incident... has clearly caused considerable distress and inconvenience for the famer involved as these sheep need expert care in their condition."