Lambs motherless after raid

Mr McGrath with the gate that was left ajar after six of his ewes were stolen - leaving their lambs motherless.

Pukehou farmer Lindsay McGrath is hoping someone saw something or six sheep turning up in suspicious circumstances prompts someone to call police.

He was appalled last week to find six of his ewes had been stolen and lambs they were feeding were left motherless.

The ewes were taken from a paddock on the corner of Boundary Rd and State Highway 2, a day after Mr Lindsay had put them there. "I put them in on Thursday the 7th, checked them at 6.30pm that evening and when I went back the next day six of the ewes were gone and their lambs had been left behind to fend for themselves," he said.

"The lambs were about six weeks old - too young to be weaned but too old to be introduced to a bottle as they won't accept one after being on their mothers for that long. They are still with the mob but I don't know how they will get on."

Mr McGrath said when he arrived on the Friday he found the paddock gate unlatched and signs someone had driven a vehicle up to the gateway.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. Why would someone take the ewes and leave their lambs like that? I searched for them in the hope they had wandered off but there was no trace of them and really no way they would have left their lambs of their own accord."

He could recall his dog barking during the Thursday night and realises that must have been when the sheep were stolen.

"They must have chased the sheep and only been able to catch the ewes - the lambs would have been too quick for them. They were quite light ewes too. I had only just picked them up at the Stortford Lodge sales.

"They wouldn't have made good eating. It was just an ignorant act of theft and cruelty. I shifted the rest of the mob straight away in case whoever took them came back for more.

"The police are investigating and I'm hoping someone saw a vehicle, or six ewes have turned up somewhere in suspicious circumstances."

Anyone with information about the theft can contact the CHB police or make an anonymous phone call to the police crime line, 0800 567 789.