Police in Kent are appealing for information after two sheep were brutally slaughtered on farmland near Sittingbourne.
The animals were found dead in Church Lane on the night of Sunday 8 and Monday 9 August 2021.
According to Kent Police, the two sheep were '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," said Sergeant Darren Walshaw, from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force.
"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."
Anyone with information on the incident detailed is asked to call Kent Police on 01795 419119 quoting 46/144168/21.
The latest incident follows dozens of similar crimes of illegal butchery that have happened on farmers' fields across the country.
In February last year, two men pleaded guilty following the illegal slaughter of hundreds of sheep and lambs in Northamptonshire.
And figures show that farm animals worth an estimated £2.3m were stolen from farms in 2020, making it one of the most costliest crimes for farmers.
