Police are appealing for information after two sheep were found "butchered" in a field near Sittingbourne.

WARNING: Graphic image below

The animals' mutilated bodies were discovered next to a public footpath in Sharsted Wood, a popular beauty spot near Doddington Place, Doddington, by a startled walker on Monday morning.

The sheep are believed to have been killed over the weekend, possibly during Saturday night.

Sgt Darren Walshaw from Kent Police’s rural task force, said: "The two sheep had been butchered by a person, or persons, with expertise in removing meat from a carcass.

"This is naturally a distressing incident for the people who reared the animals."

He added: "Fortunately, incidents of this nature are relatively rare. However, we do know that farm animals can be seen as a target for thieves.

"We are fully aware of the impact offending of this nature has on farmers and will always review all reasonable lines of enquiry."

He said: "I’d encourage members of the public, particularly people living in rural communities, to be wary of this type of offending and to contact us if they have any suspicions."

Farmer Stewart Wood, 79, who runs Teynham Court Farm and owned the sheep, said: "This is a pretty awful carry on.

"I've heard of it happening in the north or occasionally in the Gravesend area but I've had sheep for 54 years and I've never experienced anything like this in this area before. It's a very sad situation we have got into.

"I have no idea why they did it. It may have been wanted for a religious festival or travellers. Meat is very expensive at the moment."

He said the sheep had been grazing in a nearby park to help keep the grass short.

He explained: "Luckily, we had only just weaned the lambs and taken them home. But we left their mothers behind.

"Someone had butchered them properly. It looks like they crept up behind them while they were chewing the cud at night and then dragged them into the wood where they cut their throats, cut their heads off and skinned them.

"They took all the meat and just left the guts and two fleeces."

The sheep, worth up to £130, were part of a flock of 700.

Mr Wood added: "This is just another problem facing sheep farmers. The other problem is dog worrying. We have to contend with that all the time. We've had sheep killed in the past and some horrific damage inflicted by dogs. They can really be vicious.

"We've had ears pulled out of their sockets and throats, faces and back legs mauled. Some people just don't understand what to do. As soon as they come to a field which has livestock in it they should put their dogs on a lead. Anything can spook a sheep which makes them run and then the dogs give chase.

"And now we have someone butchering our sheep behind a hedge. It doesn't only affect farmers, it affects our staff and the community."

His shepherdess Ellen Eagles, who was called out to attend to the carcasses, added: "It was absolutely awful and a real shock for us as a farm and the local community."

Anyone with information about the incident should call police on 01795 419119 quoting reference 46/144168/21 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or use the online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org

To report a new incident, call 101 or complete a form on the Kent Police website.

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne