The carcasses of hundreds of dead sheep and lambs had to be taken from a Pembrokeshire farm for incineration, a court heard on Monday.

Lyn Williams of Hill Farm, Ludchurch, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates where he pleaded guilty to 25 Animal Welfare Act and Animal By-Products charges brought by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The court heard that between December, 2012, and March, 2013, Animal Health and Welfare Inspectors from the County Council and a vet from the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory Agency in Carmarthen attended the farm on numerous occasions.

A large percentage of the sheep flock were found to be in extremely poor body condition while ewes and lambs were found dead and dying on surrounding land and also in buildings at the property.

Magistrates were told that Williams had failed to act on advice offered to him from the Animal Health and Welfare Inspectors and that the farm was found to be seriously overstocked during the winter of 2012.

He failed to take prompt action to control a lameness and parasite problem resulting in dire consequences for the entire sheep flock during a prolonged wet and cold winter.

Williams also failed to provide a sufficient level of nutrition for his heavily pregnant sheep resulting in ewes losing body condition and a number of them becoming too weak to survive.

Some 280 sheep carcasses were taken away for incineration together with numerous bags of lamb carcasses.

Williams was sentenced to a 240 hours Community Order and disqualified from keeping sheep for two years.

The County Council was awarded costs of £7,774.