A FARMER has been left furious and out of pocket after more than a dozen sheep were killed or injured in a field outside York.

Derek Johnson, 54, kept his flock on land close to Stockton on the Forest Golf Club, with the agreement of a local landowner, but said his sheep had been attacked by a dog for the second time in less than two weeks.

Mr Johnson said one sheep was killed and five others injured in a dog attack on September 13, and when the dog’s owner was tracked down, he had agreed to compensate the farmer for the damage to his flock.

But yesterday, Mr Johnson found 11 more sheep had been killed and several more injured, in a similar attack that meant four more had to be put down.

He said: “The landowner phoned me to say she couldn’t see any of the sheep and when we went down there, there were 11 dead and six or seven badly injured.

“It’s unbelievable because you have absolutely no protection or don’t know where it’s coming from and you can’t dog-proof fields. You just feel like giving up. You feel it’s a battle you’re not going to win.”

North Yorkshire Police said the owner of the dog had been traced and the animal was now being cared for elsewhere.

A spokesman said: “The owner of the dog has been located and spoken to by police, who are yet to determine whether further action will take place.”

Local farmer and NFU member Rosie Dunn said: “I was phoned first thing and told what happened. I gave Derek some advice and he’s very, very upset, as it’s a repeat incident. It’s absolutely terrible.

“It’s something we are seeing more of across the NFU, and we can’t emphasise strongly enough you must keep dogs on leads, and you must be aware your dog might chase sheep. These are the consequences we are trying to avoid, and it’s terrible that this suffering and pain has been caused and resulted in the death of 15 sheep.”

Mr Johnson said: “Animals shouldn’t be at risk.

“I stand to lose £1,500 today, and £300 from last week. The attack means I can’t go to the Michaelmas Fair at Malton because 15 sheep are dead and the others aren’t marketable. There’s nothing salvageable and there’s a cost for the dead animals to be taken away of about £22 each.”