The scourge of rural crime and attacks on livestock will be addressed at a special event on Wednesday (January 29).

Farmers and graziers are being invited to join a rural crime conference and advice event at Tor Royal Farm, Princetown, to tackle the rise in offences.

There was a particularly horrific killing by a dog of about 20 sheep and others severely injured and put down at Lamerton in February last year.

Advances in science mean forensic evidence such as DNA from attacks can be used to help identify dog breed culprits and this is being pioneered on Dartmoor.

Guest speakers will cover topics including attacks by dogs on sheep and other farm animals and how to minimise the risk of thefts of farm equipment and livestock.

The number of so-called sheep worrying incidents continued to rise last year with two thirds of police forces reporting an increase over 2023, with the worst affected area being the South West. This follows a dramatic increase in injuries and death of livestock valued at over £2.4m.

Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society has been trialling DNA test kits which can help to identify the dogs responsible.

Karla Mckechnie, the Dartmoor livestock protection officer, said it was critical that crime scenes are recorded and managed well after attacks on sheep to ensure evidence is collated to support a criminal conviction.

She added: “The suffering to attacked sheep is immense. All means of identifying and controlling dogs must be explored.”

Sheep worrying formed the majority of the rural crime cases last year, but the total cost of rural crime reached £52.8m according to the NFU. This includes an estimated £3.2m worth of farm quad bikes and £2.7m worth of stolen sheep. The total cost to the South West was £5m, up from about £3m from 2023.

Estimated financial losses for sheep worrying in Britain were recorded at £50,000 per affected farmer – an average of £1570 per incident. However, most farmers are unable to recover costs and receive little compensation.

The Dartmoor Hill Farm Project is staging the advice and awareness event with Karla McKechnie and the West Devon Police rural crime team.

Anyone is welcome to attend on Wednesday, 11am-3pm, at Tor Royal Farm. The event will cover theft and other rural crimes identifying items at most risk and with practical measures to reduce loss.

Lunch is provided. For catering purposes please contact the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project by email: [email protected] or by calling 07805 329704.