A PREGNANT ewe was attacked and killed by two lurcher dogs on a North Yorkshire farm.

North Yorkshire Police said the dogs, one black and one white, entered a field in Catterton, near Tadcaster, at about 8pm on Saturday, April 14, and attacked a group of sheep. One ewe was killed, as were its two unborn lambs.

Inspector Jon Grainge, of the force's Rural Taskforce, said: "Livestock worrying is a criminal offence, which is estimated to cost the farming community around £1.3m per year nationally. Quite apart from the impact on their livelihoods, it is absolutely devastating for farmers to come across the bodies of sheep who have been attacked and then left to suffer a slow and painful death.

"Unfortunately, such attacks are a growing problem in rural communities, and North Yorkshire Police is part of a working group aiming to tackle the problem. We need dog owners to take responsibility for their animals – it’s particularly important that they keep their dogs on leads and under control when they make their way through sheep fields, and that where dogs are kept at home is secure."

A report from the National Police Chiefs’ Council Livestock Worrying Police Working Group published in February 2018 found that around 11 per cent of livestock worrying incidents involve repeat offenders -owners or walkers whose dog had worried or caused damage to livestock before - highlighting the importance of reporting all such incidents to the police.

Anyone with information on the owners of the dogs is urged to phone police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting reference 12180064128.