Woman turns unexpected shepherd to save sheep in Paignton

Toni Underhill said she was "shocked" at finding the eight animals in the street in Paignton

A woman turned temporary sheep-herder after seeing an unattended flock wandering in a street.

Toni Underhill, 22, was on her way to work when eight sheep and lambs strolled past her on Queen Elizabeth Drive in Paignton on Tuesday morning.

Her father, Steven Underhill, said she herded them into a nearby garden and penned them in to prevent them wandering on to the main road.

A local farmer later collected the animals.

Although she had no formal livestock training, Mr Underhill said his daughter "wasn't going to leave them".

One of the animals went into the garden of its own accord and she managed persuade the rest to follow, he said.

"She then phoned me and said: 'There's sheep out here'," Mr Underhill added.

The animals were herded into a garden and collected later by a farmer

"I was worried about a big drop nearby, so I followed them down an alley," Ms Underhill said.

"One then went into an open gate and I got the rest in.

"I did phone the police non-emergency number and got through to a lost and found section.

"The call hander and my colleagues at work were in hysterics when I told them what had happened."

"The farmer who came said he didn't recognise them as his, so he's taken them to get their tags checked," she added.