A dog owner faces a £1,240 court bill because her two pets savaged and killed sheep near York.

Diane Summerbell, 43, left her boxer dogs in her fenced back garden in Burnholme, York magistrates heard.

They got out and started attacking a flock of sheep on land off Stockton Lane.

Prosecutor David Garnett told the court they killed three sheep, injured six more so badly they had to be put down and left several more with less serious wounds.

When the farmer saw what the dogs were doing, he shot at them, injuring one.

It is legal for a farmer to shoot and kill a dog if it is worrying his animals.

Summerbell, of Meadbeck, Burnholme, York, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog that worried sheep on March 19 on agricultural land at York.

Magistrates told her they took a serious view and fined her £100 with £55 costs and ordered her to pay £1,085.97 compensation to the farmer.

For her, solicitor Colin Byrne said she was willing to recompense the farmer for her dogs' actions.

Her own actions after the sheep worrying had led to police identifying her and summonsing her before the court.

The court heard that she was charged under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, which does not include penalties such as banning offenders from keeping dogs or ordering dogs caught worrying sheep to be put down.

Updated: 08:33 Tuesday, May 15, 2001