The public has raised more than £1,000 for a 'heartbroken' sheep farmer after half of his flock was stolen by thieves.
Around 40 sheep were stolen from James Burns's field in Fareham, Hampshire between 9pm on the 10 August and 2pm the next day.
The stolen livestock include 18 Beulah Speckled Face ewes and 22 Suffolk/Hampshire cross Beulah Speckled Face Lambs.
A JustGiving page was created in response to the incident, which has already raised over the initial goal of £1,000.
The funds will go toward replacing the sheep and the electric fencing that was cut, as well as new CCTV.
"Let’s help a British farmer," the page says, "Being a farmer is tough, with the ever growing costs of running a farm but even more when nearly half of your livestock is stolen and your property is damaged.
"We are aiming to raise £1,000 to help with the financial impact from the loss of the sheep."
James Burns, who is a tenant farmer, told ITV News that he was worried about the welfare of his sheep.
“You're stressed to where they have gone and what’s happened to them and the welfare of them," he said.
"That’s why we spend so long looking for them. You just get worried and the financial hit it will have on the farm as well."
According to the latest figures from NFU Mutual, livestock theft remained high in 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.7m across the UK.
