*Some viewers may find the following image disturbing*
Police say suspected poachers have used a vehicle to kill a deer on farmland, an act of crime which has also subsequently destroyed crops.
Distressing photos have been released by Dorset Police's Rural Crime Team which show a dead deer along with destroyed farmland.
The force said the South Dorset farmer awoke on the morning of Thursday 17 June to the scene.
A trespasser had entered a field in a vehicle during the night, driven down crop and then killed a deer.
"It appears this has been done by making contact with it in a vehicle," PC Sebastian Haggett said.
"The images are unsettling and are a reminder of the realities of poaching.
"This is not 'one for the pot' or the result of a hungry individual trying to feed their family."
He added: "If you see a vehicle in a field at night and suspect poaching in progress please do not delay and dial 999."
The farmer, who wishes to remain anonymous, said it was 'just another example' of the ongoing attacks farmers were experiencing on a daily basis from poachers.
"There is no link between hungry families and this crime but only a desire from a minority of individuals who think it’s acceptable to behave in our community like this," the farmer added.
"Unreported incidents like this are common place; as a community we have a responsibility to report everything that is linked to these crimes in order to allow resources to be allocated.
"With joined up reporting from farming communities and members of the public we can all play our part in putting an end to this barbaric and sadistic behaviour."
It comes after farming and rural organisations have successfully lobbied the government to issue a new pledge to tackle illegal hare coursing.
Industry groups have been campaigning for tougher penalties to be sanctioned through an amendment to the Game Act 1831.
Campaigners have criticised the centuries-old legislation - one of the most significant laws intended to combat such poaching - as 'outdated and archaic'.
New proposals could give police and courts greater power to tackle offenders in the field, remove the tools of their trade and impose stiffer penalties at conviction.
