Thieves feared to have slaughtered more than 100 stolen sheep – as criminals ‘weaponise’ cost of living crisis

When farmer Ed Lovejoy rounded up his sheep last month, he was left “stunned” and feeling “pretty sick”.

A total of 116 ewes had vanished from his flock of 460, with the missing livestock worth some £17,000.
Initially suspecting the animals may have escaped, Mr Lovejoy went searching near his farm in Woodchurch, Kent, but there was no trace of them.

It wasn’t until a witness reported seeing someone on a quad bike pushing the sheep to the side of a field that the reality dawned on the 40-year-old farmer.

Brazen thieves had staged a daring raid to steal the animals, which are now feared to have been slaughtered and sold as meat on the black market.