ANYONE who has been to Animal Quackers or any similar petting farm will know how lovely it is for children to feed the lambs and learn about where our milk comes from.

So how shocking to learn one of Terry Bork’s ‘pet’ sheep has been killed after a dog attack, set up by poachers.

Mr Bork believes the ewe was held down while a lurcher savaged it, part of horrific ‘training’ to kill deer.

Police also think it could be linked to other cases of cruel, illegal poaching in East Lancashire.

Across the country, police and wildlife experts think organised gangs are behind widespread deer killing, selling venison and antlers on the black market.

Much of their heartless work goes on under the cover of darkness using special rifles with night sights, crossbows, powerful lamps and 4x4 vehicles to hunt down the poor animals.

This makes it difficult to catch the offenders but it’s the people at the next point in the crime chain who are perhaps easier to trap.

The poachers rely on unscrupulous butchers, game dealers and pubs looking for cheap meat through the back door.

Vigilance is the key and stringent checks on where this meat actually comes from.