Officers are investigating after a number of sheep heads have been found in a Lincolnshire village.

A major recovery operation has led to the discovery of hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of stolen farm machinery and equipment, North Yorkshire Police has confirmed.

Police have managed to recover the vast majority of the 75 sheep stolen from a farm in Carmarthenshire following a public appeal.

Hare coursing has long roots in English history. Originally used for hunting, and later sport, it sees dogs chasing hares across rural fields.

"It's beginning to feel like the Wild West up here when it comes to sheep crime - it's soul-destroying," says farmer Colin Abel, scanning his flock high up on west Dartmoor farmland.

A farmer from Devon has described the scene when he uncovered a brutal and barbaric attack on his herd of sheep.