Sheep decapitated by poachers who left severed head in a plastic bag beside it

Kent Police are investigating after a sheep was slaughtered in a field (Picture: Cover Media)

A farmer has described the moment poachers abandoned a decapitated sheep and fled into the night after being disturbed.

Clive Burgess,owner of Syndale Park Farm in Faversham,Kent,had been at home while his son Luke headed out to carry out a late-night check on more than 300 ewes.

The 26-year-old was riding his quadbike across the land at about 11pm when he spotted a shape in the distance.

At first,he believed it was a pregnant sheep giving birth during lambing season,but as he got closer,he made a grim discovery.

A ewe had been slaughter and decapitated,with the perpetrators leaving the severed head inside a plastic bag beside the carcass.

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.‘My son phoned me at half past 11 after his quadbike lights showed the dead sheep with the head cut off,’ Clive,56,said.‘The other sheep all started flocking together as they were startled,they all huddled up – we’re in lambing season so there’s also half a dozen newborn lambs being born and just left out in the open.‘I usually have a couple of lambs going missing every year and vanish into thin air,but something like this is a new one to me. It caused mayhem – all the sheep were disturbed.’WARNING: Graphic content belowThe remains of the sheep after poachers decapitated it and fled (Picture: Cover Media)After finding the ewe,Luke scanned the surrounding area on his quadbike and came across two lambs beneath three large fir trees.The newborns,the offspring of the killed ewe,were lying beside two large pools of blood.It is believed the perpetrators slit the sheep’s throat under the trees before dragging the animal about 100 yards towards the road.But upon seeing the quadbike approaching,they abandoned the scene and ran,leaving everything behind in the field.Farm bosses,who have worked at the site for 40 years,later reported seeing a red car acting suspiciously nearby,with details passed on to the authorities.‘As things were calming down,we noticed a car on the A2 kept going up and down,which now I’m pretty sure the police are investigating,’ Clive added.Kent Police confirmed it received a report that a sheep had been killed in a field off Hansletts Lane in Faversham.