Man ordered to pay out over £500 after dogs attacked sheep

A man has been ordered to pay out over £500 following a livestock worrying incident in East Sussex.

The incident, which happened in October 2022, involved two large dogs attacking sheep.

The dogs were shot by the farmer to protect his flock, East Sussex Police said.

Last week, at court, Ludo Griffin of Wych Cross pleaded guilty to the incident.

He was ordered to pay £533 in fines, costs and a victim surcharge.

The force said: "Livestock worrying is a criminal offence and comes under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

"This isn’t just a threat to a farmer or land owner’s livelihood, it’s also a dangerous situation for the animals involved, and could lead to more risk if the animals get onto the road."

According to NFU Mutual, farm animals worth £1.8m were severely injured or killed by dogs last year - a 50% increase

The Scottish government recently introduced legislation to combat the issue, imposing a maximum fine of £40,000 or 12 month prison sentence to those found guilty.

Under English legislation, the maximum fine is £1,000, a punishment described as 'menial' by the sheep sector.

In March, a member of the public was ordered to pay £300 compensation to a farmer following a dog attack which killed one sheep on the Isle of Wight.