A Clitheroe man who stole 49 sheep from a Peak District farmer has been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.

Prosecutors said Andrew Keith Piner, 48, had responded to an advertisement in the Farmer’s Guardian and travelled to David Robinson’s North Lees Farm in Hathersage, Derbyshire on September 17, 2013.

After agreeing a price he handed over a cheque for £5,635 in the name of John Atlee and was told he could collect the sheep once the cheque had cleared, Buxton Magistrates Court was told.

But the false cheque never cleared as the bank account had been closed and it was discovered the sheep had been stolen, magistrates heard.

Jennifer Fitzgerald prosecuting said Mr Robinson made his own enquiries about the theft.

She said: “He placed an article in the Farmer’s Guardian for information about the missing sheep.

“He received a number of calls from a number of people naming this defendant on suspicion of being involved.”

She said it transpired, during other investigations by police, that some of the sheep had been at the Lancashire farm where Piner, was at that time, working as a farm manager in February 2014.

But officers did not know at that time about the Derbyshire theft and the sheep were not recovered or returned to the owner, the court heard.

Piner denied any involvement in the theft but was found guilty after a trial.

Magistrate Eric Hilton, sentencing Piner, of Mill Lane, Gisburn said due to the high value of the theft and his record for previous dishonesty offences only a custodial sentence was justified.

At the time of the offence Piner was also subject to a suspended prison sentence for four fraud offences relating the sale of vehicles, prosecutors said.

Piner was ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge within 28 days of his release from prison.

No order was made for costs or compensation.