POLICE are appealing for help after a sheep was slaughtered and butchered in a field at Ilsington.

Officers investigating the killing believe the animal was slaughtered by someone skilled in butchery.

It is impossible to tell how it was killed as all that remained was its skin and carcass.

Now police are warning that if the meat is offered for sale, it could be dangerous to eat.

PCSO Paul Wilson said: ‘We are not sure how it was killed and it’s unlikely we will ever be able to tell. It was butchered in what appeared to be a professional manner and stripped of all the meat.

‘Whoever did it, made a clean job of it and seems to know how to butcher a sheep.’

The remaining skin and bones were found in the field the following morning by the owner.

PCSO Wilson added: ‘If people are being offered meat for sale which is not from recognised outlets, such as in a pub, from a public health point of view it would be very dangerous to eat as you don’t know where it has come from.’

The incident happened between 10pm on Sunday, November 15, and 11am on Monday, November 16.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling 101 or email [email protected] and quote crime rerefence CR/079553/15.