Police are hunting for a Bo Peep bandit who stole 11 sheep from a field in Yorkshire - in what insurers say is an epidemic of livestock theft with a view to selling meat and animal products on the black market.
Ms Windle, 38, had four sheep stolen on May 1 from her animal shelter, My Pets Palace near Derby, by people she suspects will have taken them to a slaughterhouse. 'There are dodgy people in the farming industry that know how to slit an animal's throat, who are trying to make a bit of change on the side.
PC Jack Donaldson, from the service's rural task force, said: 'Livestock theft causes a significant financial loss to farmers, totalling £2.7m in 2022 according to NFU Mutual figures.'Farmers often raise their stock from the day they are born, and for them to disappear overnight into criminal hands causes great anxiety and stress, as animals are often mistreated by the criminals.
Sarah Sceats, North Worcestershire's rural and business crime officer, said it was likely the thefts were linked to the black market. They are also believed to be stealing sheep and buying and selling them at auction in order to launder money.