'Daily' dog attacks on farmers' sheep in north Wales

Dog attacks on sheep have become an "everyday occurrence", North Wales Police has said.

The warning has been issued after nine sheep were killed in Afonwen, near Mold, Flintshire, on Monday.

PC Dave Allen, of the force's Rural Crime Unit, said: "This sort of thing is happening all the time now in north Wales."

He urged dog owners to "take responsibility" of their dogs and encouraged farmers to report attacks.

Since September 2013, there are believed to have been about 260 dog attacks on livestock in north Wales.

'Tremendous worry'

PC Allen explained that in more than 100 of these cases, police have identified "particular breeds of concern" - huskies and German Shepherds.

Referring to Monday's attack, he said: "The sheep had their ears bitten off and puncture wounds to their neck.

"The issue in this case is we don't know who the dog is, so there's a good chance farmers could become a victim of another attack.

"It's a tremendous worry to farmers. This is their livelihood."

Dog owners need to "be aware of their dogs' needs, have it under control in public places, and always use a dog lead", he added.