Police make arrest after newborn lamb goes missing in Epsom

Around 10am on Tuesday officers from Epsom and Ewell branch of Surrey Police posted two pictures of the lamb they said was still missing as they provided details on the case and their appeal.

In a post laden with sheep puns, a spokesperson for the borough police force said they had put a suspect "behind baaaas" on Monday evening (April 19) on suspicion of stealing the lamb in question.

"It was a late finish for some officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team as they put one suspect behind ‘baaaas’ on suspicion of theft of a lamb.

"While they catch up on some much needed ‘Bo Peep’, we are appealing for your help to try and identify where this lamb came from and where it currently is," the spokesperson said.

Police did not specify which farm the lamb had gone missing from, but said it was likely a newborn and could be at risk of dying prematurely if not found.

"As you can see by the pictures, it is believed to be just a matter of days old and we are concerned that it may have been prematurely taken away from its mother," the post continued.

"There appears to be a marking on the back indicating it has come from a farm. Whilst lambs can live away from their mothers, this requires specialist treatment and if the lamb is not receiving the appropriate level of care required, there is a strong possibility that it may not survive.

"Please take a close look at the pictures and share the images with anyone that keeps livestock in the local area and help us reunite it with its mother

"The suspect has been released under investigation...45210040170."

Animal theft or 'rustling', especially of sheep, is thought to be a growing problem in the UK.

Some £3 million worth of sheep were reportedly stolen from British farms in 2019 alone.