‘Horrific’ dog attack leads to the death of several lambs

YET again a dog has attacked livestock, leaving several lambs dead and police appealing for witnesses.

The ‘horrific’ incident happened in fields near Pott Shrigley on Wednesday, May 19, at around 5pm.

It is believed that a dog that was off its lead and attacked at least nine lambs - some of them fatally.

Police say that around the time a large ‘Doberman- style’ dog had been seen running among the animals.

PC Jim Clark, from the Cheshire Police rural crime team, said: “The offending dog would have traces of blood over its face.

” There are very few public footpath close by however there are a number of residential properties and properties undergoing renovation near the land.

“If you are lucky enough to live somewhere that backs onto open fields are you confident that your dog isn’t ‘going on an adventure’ from your property and out of sight.”

Throughout the last 14 months of lockdown, and before that, police have regularly warned about livestock attacks - also known as sheep worrying.

These incidents have largely happened in the more rural areas in and around Macclesfield.

On this occasion police shared a graphic image of the injuries that were caused to the lambs.

Posting it on Facebook PC Clark said: “Yet again this is the horrific truth of one of the consequences of a livestock attack.”

This lambing season has been particularly fraught, earlier this month two lambs were killed in an attack by a dog in fields next to the Macclesfield Canal, near the AstraZeneca site.

Another three died in Over Alderley in March when a dog off its lead also bit their shepherd.

And another incident in March in Poynton saw a farmer verbally abused by a dog owner when he was asked to put his pet on a lead after it had been harassing sheep.

Police even reported an incident near Wildboarclough where men on motorbikes were chasing sheep around a field.

Sergeant Rob Simpson, from Cheshire Police’s rural crime team, says across the county in the first three months of 2021 50 sheep have been killed by dogs. And that two dogs have ad to be put down.

Anyone with information about the latest incident can call police on 101 quoting reference number IML 992043 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.