Woman's anger at police over pet death

Gillian Stone, of Cooden Drive, visited her land at Potman's Lane on Saturday to find one of her sheep badly injured.

The rare South Down ewe, called Daisy, was taken to the local vet but had to be put down. The vet identified the injuries as being consistent with a mauling from a dog.

Over 25 sheep are kept on the field as pets and have been used for church nativity plays in the town.

Returning to the scene, Gillian found two dogs which she caught and took to Bexhill Police Station after seeking advice on what to do with the animals.

After police eventually found space for the dogs at kennels in St Leonards, Gillian says she was shocked to be told in a telephone conversation the next day the animals had been released to their owner and her contact details had been passed on to him.

She believes the police may have denied her crucial evidence in what is a criminal case and that her contact details should not have been divulged.

Gillian said: "I am going to be making a formal complaint.

"Whether those dogs did it or not, there is a man out there who knows I am unhappy with him and he knows who I am but I don't know who he is.

"I found the two German Pointers at the bottom of the field not more than 30 to 45 minutes later. It took us a while to catch them as you can imagine. Where they had been running through grass and the woods any blood that was on them would have come off.

"Because they can't digest wool it will eventually pass through them (the dogs). They should not have been released until that was collected or a vet called in to make them sick. I don't know if that has been done.

"This is a criminal matter and we needed that evidence. Without it I'm left with nothing.

"As for giving away my details without my permission - what about my human rights?"

A Bexhill Police spokesman said personal details had not in fact been passed on to the dog owner. They did, however, confirm the animals had been released.

Police said: "The dogs were returned to the owners who were assessed as being responsible owners who agreed to monitor whether the dogs passed any wool.

"They were prepared to accept liability if it could be shown their dogs were responsible.

"However even if they did this, it would not prove they attacked the sheep. This has been allocated for investigation."

Daisy the sheep is pictured with Gillian's partner Robert Schifreen.