A FARMER near Kington who left 31 dead sheep to rot on farmland has been fined by magistrates.

Nigel James Sheen of Doleycanney Farm, Newchurch, had already been convicted of similar offences involving 17 carcases in November last year when he pleaded guilty to six charges related to the breach of farming legislation at Brecon Law Courts last Friday.

The 51-year-old was told to pay £300 costs and complete 60 hours of community work after trading standards officers found most bodies had decomposed to skeletal remains.

Prosecuting, Jane Foxley said Powys County Council staff inspected Doleycanney and a nearby farm used by Sheen following a public complaint in January this year.

She said the defendant declined to join them when the first three sheep were found in a field and two in a shed.

When questioned he said he had known about them for two days but had not moved them because of heavy rain.

Officers continued the inspection and found other sheep that had been in sheds and fields for a considerable time but were identifiable from spray markings.

Sheen claimed not to know of the other carcases and officers served him with a notice and left.

Defending, Gavin Rofer said Sheen was coping with difficult circumstances and had so little farming income he was forced to find other work which took him away from his land.

Mr Rofer said it was incredibly important magistrates understood the sheep were not ill treated but died for all manner of reasons and the defendant had fed them but had no time to regularly walk the land.

The problem was furthered, he said, by rogue dogs worrying and killing sheep but this had since been dealt with and the number of deaths reduced.

Mr Rofer also said Sheen had significantly decreased stock numbers and allocated more land for growing after coming to the conclusion that “something had to give”.

Magistrates said a three-year conditional discharge imposed for his previous offences would remain in effect to deter him from re-offending.