Lincolnshire farmer may be disqualified after 40 of his sheep found to be infested with maggots

The farmer did not attend Lincoln Magistrates' Court and the case was proved in his absence
The farmer did not attend Lincoln Magistrates' Court and the case was proved in his absence

A Lincolnshire farmer who kept 40 sheep that were found infested with maggots due to fly strike now risks being disqualified from keeping them.

Philip Raymond Wilson, who lives in Waltham, had sheep which suffered from fly strike, a condition where parasitic flies lay eggs that leads to maggots feeding off the flesh.

Mr Wilson keeps a flock of 40 sheep in a field Middle Rasen. He was charged with causing unnecessary suffering and for not ensuring the welfare of an animal.

He did not attend Lincoln Magistrates' Court and the case was proved in his absence.

The animals were inspected on several occasions between July 8 and July 21 last year following a complaint to the RSPCA.

He now risks being disqualified from keeping them.

Lincolnshire County Council senior trading standards officer, Alan Griffin, attended the site after a case of fly strike and one sheep was found dead.

What is fly strike?

Fly strike in sheep is a condition where parasitic flies lay eggs on soiled wool or open wounds.

After hatching, the maggots, bury themselves in the sheep’s wool and eventually under the sheep’s skin, feeding off their flesh.

Once the larvae develop, flies continue to deposit eggs on to new or already infected sheep, starting the infection process over again.

Sheep display symptoms such as agitation, odour and matted fur, all which further encourage the attraction of flies.