More than 100 sheep have been killed in a suspected dog attacked described as the UK's worst case of sheep-worrying in living memory.
The discovery was made by farmer Gordon Wyeth at the West Dean Estate in West Dean, near Chichester, early yesterday afternoon.
Sussex Police said the sheep, many of them pregnant, had been herded into a tight group against a fence and gate bordering woodland.
Sergeant Tom Carter, of Sussex Police, said "I have never seen or heard of sheep-worrying on this scale before and this was a terrible sight.
"While there are no signs of any of the animals being savaged, we are all but 100 per cent certain that their deaths were brought about by dogs.
"The flock was last checked around lunchtime on Sunday, so the incident could have occurred at any time over the next 24 hours.
"However, if as we suspect it was a dog attack, it may well have happened in daylight and we want to hear from anyone with information about it."
James Osman, the National Farmers Union adviser for Sussex, said he believed it was the worst incident of its kind in living memory.
"Talking to colleagues around the country, the number of deaths is double what we have come across in the past," he said.
