POLICE are investigating a second sheep worrying attack in the Abercych/Cwmcych area in recent days.

On this occasion, around 20 lambs are reported killed by a dog on Sunday (March 17).

The dog is described as a black and tan-coloured dog, with the body of a whippet and the face of a hunting dog.

If anyone has any information, contact the Ceredigion Rural Crime Team on 101.

Up to a dozen sheep suffered horrific injuries at Abercych in an earlier attack on March 4. Some of the sheep, including newborn lambs, died as a result of that incident.

A campaign has recently been launched urging dog owners to keep their pets under control as the cost of dog attacks on livestock more than doubled in Wales last year.

Wales accounted for a quarter of the cost of livestock attacks in the UK in 2018 – the only UK nation to see a rise in the cost of such attacks, according to NFU Mutual.

It estimates that the total cost of livestock worrying to the UK farming industry exceeded £1.2m last year. In Wales there was a huge rise in the cost of attacks in 2018, resulting in a massive 113 per cent increase. The estimated total cost to Welsh agriculture was £285,000.

Dog owners are reminded of this advice when walking in the countryside:

• Do not allow your dog to enter a field on its own and keep it under your control at all times.

• Keep your dog on a lead when crossing through fields that contain livestock.

• Stick to public right of ways.

When at home:

• Make sure you know where your dog is at all times.

• Ensure that your property is secure and that your dog cannot escape day or night.

• If you know your dog has previously chased or attacked sheep then take responsible measures to prevent it happening again.