Farmers concerned after sheep shot dead in field

Farmers who found two of their sheep had been "shot dead" have described rural crime in Shropshire as "out of control."

Scott and Hannah Caines, from Claverley, recently discovered their young lambs had been killed in a field.

The pair said the incident was not isolated and claimed other farmers in the area had also been targeted on the same weekend.

West Mercia Police said it was working hard to engage with communities to "identify and ultimately prevent rural crime."

Insp Mike Phillips said: “As a force with a lot of countryside, rural crime is an area we take incredibly seriously.

"We know that it can impact on insurance premiums, food prices and damage local communities."

Mr Caines told BBC Radio Shropshire he found the dead animals when he went out to feed them.

"One had been shot which was quite clear, quite a big sized hole in its side," he explained, adding the other sheep had been "destroyed".

He said he took the sheep home and phoned the police who later confirmed it had been shot.

After looking at CCTV and speaking to neighbours, the pair said they believed the attack had happened at about 19:00 GMT on Saturday evening.

"It's not really something you expect to find on a Sunday morning in the countryside," Mrs Caines added.

"Psychologically, it's quite concerning."

She said the attack was not isolated and had happened to other farmers nearby.

"There's a couple of other farmers the same weekend that had this happen to them, but rural crime as a whole is out of control," she added.

"From thefts, to worrying of sheep, to hare coursing, it's a weekly occurrence for ourselves and neighbouring farmers."

The pair said rural crime in the area made them feel "anxious" as it was "getting worse."

"Lately we've had a lot of rural crime, we've had our quad bike tools and everything pinched out the workshop... and now obviously, we've had livestock shot," Mr Caines explained.

Ed Garrett from the National Farmers Union said "barely a day goes by" where a high value piece of equipment was not stolen somewhere in Shropshire, such as tractors or quad bikes.

He said there was a "real sense of fear" within the farming community.

"I'm really worried about my own sheep and my own equipment, as I'm a farmer myself," he explained.

"We're extremely worried about the mental wellbeing of the agricultural community."

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