Second teenager arrested after car mowed 14 sheep down

Surrey Police says it is investigating the 'extremely unusual' incident
Surrey Police says it is investigating the 'extremely unusual' incident

A second teenager has been arrested by Surrey Police after fourteen lambs were killed by a car which drove onto a field.

Surrey Police are investigating the incident, which took place overnight on 17-18 January, causing the death of several lambs at a farm in Bramley.

The force said it believed a vehicle had entered the private farmland and then mowed over the lambs.

A second teenager, a 19-year-old man, of no fixed address, has now been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

He was arrested on suspicion of a second count of criminal damage, two counts of common assault and arson in relation to separate incidents.

Last week, a 15-year-old boy from Redhill was arrested on suspicion of two counts of criminal damage.

Sergeant Phil Bayman said the incident was 'extremely unusual': "We appreciate that it will have caused considerable distress to the owner of the farm and within the wider community," he said.

"We would like to reassure you that we are taking this seriously and doing everything we can to bring those responsible to justice."

The farmer, Nick Hutley, told BBC Radio Surrey that the perpetrator took the gates to the field off their hinges and "pushed through" another gate to get to the sheep.

He warned that rural crime was an "ongoing battle", adding that it was "getting potentially dangerous if people feel that they can joyride like that and kill livestock".

The latest figures by NFU Mutual show that in 2022, the cost of rural crime rose sharply by 22%, reaching a total estimate of £49.5m.

The cost of livestock theft in the UK surged 8.7% in 2022, totalling an estimated £2.7 million.

Sergeant Bayman said that officers were also looking for any dashcam or CCTV footage which may help the investigation.

“We are asking anyone with any information, including anyone who witnessed the incident... to come forward as soon as possible."

Anyone with information have been told to report it to Surrey Police by quoting PR/0185 of 18/1 via the force's website or 101.