Cambridgeshire farmers urged to be vigilant after sheep killed and skins left in fields

Police said over a two week period in east Cambridgeshire, 25 lambs had been stolen or killed.

Farmers are being warned to be vigilant after a number of sheep have been killed or stolen in recent weeks.

25 lambs have been taken from farms in East Cambridgeshire, with some of the animals being killed in the fields and their skins left behind.

Police said the recent spate of the thefts had taken place in Burrough Green and Dullingham.

PC Scott Giles, from Cambridgeshire’s Rural Crime Action Team, urged farmers to be vigilant and keep a close eye on their stock numbers.

He said: "We’re urging farmers, and members of the public including hikers and dog walkers, to be extra vigilant of any unusual activity, be it people or vehicles in their local areas and contact police with any suspicious behaviour.

"We would also like to hear from anyone being offered cheap or unpackaged meat," he added.

With the sheep slaughtered and butchered while still in the farmers’ fields, the meat would not have undergone safety checks at a registered abattoir.

Around £2.4 million of cattle and sheep were stolen last year, according to an annual rural crime survey.

Overall, livestock theft increased 3.7% in 2021, compared to the year before.

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