A farmer has been left reeling after a dog killed two of his sheep and injured three others during an attack on his land.

Sheep farmer John Maxwell, who has owned a farm in Fordham for 25 years, fears the attack, which took place on Saturday afternoon, could lead to a vet bill of thousands of pounds.

Dog owners need to be aware of the damage that their pets can do when not controlled, Mr Maxwell said.

He said: “This is the first time this has happened to me in my 25 years here, and I can say it’s one of the most unpleasant things a sheep farmer will have to deal with. The dog has made an awful mess of them.

“When you are talking about pedigree sheep the vet bill could be in the thousands.

“The incident was bad enough but it could have been a lot worse. I’d like to make dog owners aware that their dogs can do a lot of damage. Most owners are responsible but mishaps do happen.”