Gloucestershire farmer's cows killed by suspected meat thieves

Rob said the attacks had caused a lot of distress to his family

A farmer said it was "horrendous" to discover two of his cows had been killed and butchered on his land.

Rob, from Gloucestershire, said the intruders had taken away meat after killing the animals during two separate incidents in August and November.

A third cow which was injured in the second attack has had to be put down.

PC Phil Mawdsley, rural wildlife and heritage crime officer with Gloucestershire Police, said incidents of this kind were rare in the county.

"This isn't something that Gloucestershire in general suffers from. We have very few incidents of livestock thefts or animals being butchered in a field on a farm," said PC Mawdsley.

'It's our livelihood'

A similar attack happened in Worcestershire in October and farmers have said that they believe the offenders are butchering cows to sell their meat on the black market.

"It's horrendous, it's like losing a pet in a way," said Rob, who did not want to give his full name.

He said the attack had caused distress to his wife and 13-year-old son.

"It's our livelihood. I know that we're breeding them for meat, but we're giving them the best life in the time that they're alive," he added.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of animal injury that some people may find distressing

Rob's farm was targeted in separate attacks in August and November

Rob said the first attack occurred on 21 August, when an an eight-month-old calf was killed.

The second incident saw two cows killed between 18:00 and 21:00 GMT on 3 November, with five other cows injured, including one which had its ear cut.

On both occasions, all that was left of the animals was their head and innards.

"It took three or four days for the animals to calm down. I couldn't go anywhere near them. They were frightened," said Rob.

He said the attack has cost him thousands of pounds in vet fees and lost revenue.

PC Mawdsley urged livestock farmers to keep count of their stock, to check their fields for tyre tracks, check fence structures and install CCTV.

"The sooner we are notified that there is cattle or sheep missing, it gives us more chance of having an evidential lead as to what's happened there," he added.

Black market meat

The RSPCA said it was aware of a number of cases where calves and cows had been killed in a manner which suggested it had been done for black market meat.

A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, we have recently seen similar incidents involving calves being slaughtered and butchered in farmers' fields, and we suspect this is then for their meat to be sold on the black market.

"These are shocking and concerning incidents which would have caused the calves significant distress and suffering."

The charity has urged anyone who might have any information about this to contact the police, adding it will also "be on hand" if assistance is required.