Farmers in the Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge, Brent Knoll, Berrow and Huntspill areas have this week again been warned by Police to step up their security following the theft of 92 ewes and 184 lambs from a field.
The theft, from fields on the Steart marshes, near Burnham-On-Sea, has prompted a police appeal.
The ewes and lambs were taken overnight between 10-11 May and are a mix of breeds, although the majority of them are pedigree easy care ewes, according to Avon and Somerset Police.
This breed of ewe is very unusual and should therefore be easily spotted if they’re being held in a field, say Police.
Pedigree Easy care ewes often look skinny and or bald as they shed their wool once it grows a few centimetres long, fields in which they’re kept will be full of the wool the sheep have shed.
Police Beat Manager Tony Freeman said: “This is a huge loss for the farmer as it’s estimated the sheep and lambs are worth between £18,000 and £20,000. The sheep are not only unusual in their breed but they are also marked on their backs in green, numbers range between 1 and 400. If you see sheep or lambs matching this description in the area, or have information on their whereabouts please call 101 quoting the reference 5218103055.”
There are a number of measures that farmers in the Burnham-On-Sea area can take to protect themselves from thieves such as ensuring boundaries and gates are in good order and wherever possible locked.
Farmers should also take care not to leave any equipment lying around that could assist offenders in stealing livestock for example handling equipment or trailers.
Securing vulnerable access points around fields with boulders, deep ditches or tree trunks also prevents criminals having easy access.
Anyone purchasing livestock are advised to check the provenance and respective paperwork relating to the stock in question.
In March, we reported here that 43 Scotch Mule X Suffolk lambs had been taken from a field in Godney near Glastonbury and Police appealed for farmers to be extra vigilant.
Police are also encouraging anyone who isn’t already a member of the Farm Watch scheme to join; the scheme is used to share information amongst rural communities to help prevent crime. If you’d like to find out more please contact ruralcrimeteam@avonandsomerset.police.uk
