Police plea on theft of sheep

It follows the theft of about 8,000 animals from Mid Wales farmland in the last two years - costing farmers about £400,000. Chief Inspector Steve Hughson said the agricultural community holds the key to catching the thieves.

"These thieves have got to be connected with the agricultural community - they are people who know how to work with animals, people who know how to transport them and people who know how to slaughter them," he said.

"The average Billy Burglar who comes across the border to Powys to thieve will not have the know-how to round up 20 sheep from a hillside and he won't have a vehicle to transport them - it's got to be someone connected with agriculture."

Mr Hughson said the stolen animals were obviously being taken to illegal slaughter houses, destined for the illegal meat trade, with some ending up as "smokies", a Middle Eastern delicacy.

"What I want to get across to people in Powys, and particularly the farming community, is they must keep a lookout and report any unusual activity on the hills and on the roads," he said.

"If anyone sees sheep being rounded up - quite possibly with dogs - by someone they don't recognise, or see an animal transporter being used late at night or in the early hours of the morning, take a note of the number and report it to us.

"I suppose what I am doing is the same as is happening at the moment in Suffolk - there the police are saying the key to solving the prostitutes' murders is with the prostitute community - here I am saying the key to solving sheep thefts probably lies within the wider agricultural community.

"I am appealing to them to help us clamp down on this worrying level of animal theft."

Almost 200 sheep are believed to have gone from farms in Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire this summer, including 70 ewes from the Welshpool area. Land near Knighton and Rhayader has also been affected.

Anyone who can help should contact Constable Charlie Jones, Dyfed-Powys Police's sheep theft officer, on 08453 302000.

By Deborah Knox