A Colwall farmer is warning that he will shoot any dog he sees roaming among his pregnant ewes.

John Bishop said a dog, or dogs, entered a field of pregnant ewes at Old Colwall some time on Monday.

When Mr Bishop surveyed the scene on Tuesday morning he found unborn lambs ripped out of a sheep's womb. The sheep was also torn to shreds.

Five other animals aborted foetuses early and another had to be destroyed after her lambs died inside her.

"It was not a nice thing to come up against," said Mr Bishop.

He said there were no witnesses but a dog was seen running around the area on Monday night.

Mr Bishop said it was not the financial loss of the dead sheep that concerned him. "It's the uncertainty of knowing whether or not the dogs are still roaming about," he said. "These ewes are really heavily in lamb and being chased is the worst possible thing that could happen to them."

Mr Bishop, who owns Cummins Farm, is looking after the ewes, which belong to his friend Roland Trafford-Roberts.